A Place to Call Home: A pilot survey of people seeking asylum in Greater Sydney

Abstract

This research survey asked people seeking asylum about their housing and homelessness experiences since arriving in Australia and also about their income, employment, and the impact of COVID-19 restrictions of March 2020. The survey was conducted in March 2021, and findings reflect experiences at that time and in the preceding 12 months.
Although the sample size is small (101 respondents), this is one of the few surveys of people seeking asylum that also includes experiences during the pandemic.
The majority of respondents are recipients of JRS Australia’s food bank service, and residents across West and South West Sydney in Cumberland, Parramatta, Blacktown and Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas.

This research was a collaborative effort and thanks go to:
Interpreters from TIS National who helped with the verbal translation of the survey for respondents requiring language assistance.
A Place to Call Home Advisory Group for their feedback on the survey design and assistance with recruitment of survey respondents
Mercy Foundation and Life Without Barriers for their financial support of this pilot project.
Gratitude is also extended to the many respondents who willingly gave their time to participate in the survey and share their experiences of finding a place to live in Australia.