Carl Nicholson and Housing Options

Catholic Centre for Immigrants: Carl Nicholson, the executive director of the Catholic Centre for Immigrants, said Thursday that some government-sponsored refugees are turning down the housing options they're offered because they want to be closer to people they know, near mosques or away from areas where they've heard gang activity exists, according to CBC. Nicholson said the requests are causing complications in the settlement process and are slowing down their efforts to resettle hundreds of people. Arif Virani is parliamentary secretary to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum. Some refugees turning down housing options in Ottawa, centre says Government-assisted refugee arrivals paused to deal with Ottawa housing shortage On Friday, the parliamentary secretary to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum said this isn't a new dynamic. "People wanting to be closer to a place of worship is indifferent from most other groups that would like to be close to people that might speak their language or practice the same religion as them," said Arif Virani, MP for Parkdale-High Park. "That normal. We're rising to those challenges." 33 of 36 centres working well Virani said settlement is working well in most communities. "People are expressing their interest and it constantly an issue about matching people interest with what available," he said. "Obviously we want to make sure the flow of newcomers continues. That a historic feature of immigration patterns. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.