Housing shortages, limited child-care and a lack of reliable transportation are making it harder for newcomers to settle and remain in Huron and Perth counties, according to new regional research.
A report from the Huron County Immigration Partnership says affordable housing cannot be separated from employment, transportation and access to services when communities are trying to attract workers.
The findings are based on community conversations held in Goderich, St. Marys, Listowel and Exeter during the summer of 2025. The sessions included 24 newcomers, service providers, volunteers and one municipal representative, building on earlier focus groups involving 40 newcomers. The report cautions that the smaller sample does not represent every newcomer living in the region.
Researchers found the average advertised monthly rental was approximately $1,980 in Huron County and $2,020 in Perth County during 2025. Participants commonly reported spending more than 40 to 50 per cent of their household income on rent and utilities. Earlier research found some newcomers who had fled war were spending between 40 and 80 per cent of their income on housing.
Larger families face an additional shortage of suitable units.
Participants said one-and-two-bedroom rentals commonly cost between $1,600 and $2,000 per month, while homes with three to five bedrooms could range from $2,800 to $3,500.
"Sometimes you have to put three kids in one bedroom just to make it work," one participant told researchers.
Newcomers also reported difficulty satisfying rental requirements when they did not have Canadian credit histories, local references or previous Canadian landlords. Some said they depended on guarantors or entered shared housing arrangements where their privacy and tenancy rights were unclear.
The report says limited transportation can make otherwise affordable housing unusable, particularly when employment or essential services are located in another community.
"Without a car, we cannot live here. Housing and transportation are so tied together," a Goderich participant said.
Researchers heard that some newcomers could find cheaper housing in places such as Exeter or Clinton, but could not reliably commute because of distance, winter driving conditions or limited public transit.
Child care was identified as another major barrier.
Participants in St. Marys said limited daycare spaces prevented some parents, particularly mothers, from taking full-time jobs. The loss of employment income then made it more difficult for families to qualify for rentals or keep up with housing costs.
The pressure extends beyond newcomer families.
A 2025 Stratford social services report counted 2,986 children on the child-care waitlist across Stratford, Perth County and St. Marys, an increase from 2,867 at the beginning of that year.
The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance has also linked its recruitment problems directly to housing and child care.
The hospital system operates a housing referral program asking local property owners to list available homes, apartments and rooms for current or prospective employees relocating to the area. It also asks child-care providers to report available spaces, saying some employees have extended parental leaves because they cannot find care.
The findings come as the Four County Labour Market Planning Board warns that an aging workforce and years of low unemployment have created persistent labour shortages across Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth.
The organization says newcomers represent an important potential source of labour, but barriers can prevent them from finding and maintaining employment even when jobs are available.
The housing pressure is also affecting people already established in the region.
Huron County Housing Services reported helping 74 people move into permanent housing during 2025, but 19 later returned to homelessness. County staff said limited funding and resources restrict the supports available to help people remain housed.
The newcomer housing report recommends several possible local responses, including temporary arrival accommodations, rapid rent subsidies and a centralized housing hub containing verified listings and multilingual information.
Participants in Listowel and Exeter suggested meetings between newcomers and landlords, along with alternative tenant-screening methods that would allow landlords to accept references from settlement agencies instead of relying entirely on Canadian credit histories.
St. Marys participants called for expanded daycare, along with co-operative housing and community land-trust models. Other recommendations include employer housing allowances, rental guarantees, landlord education and community-based hosting programs.
The report says employers, municipalities, landlords, service agencies and community organizations will all need to participate if Huron and Perth want to recruit newcomers and persuade them to remain in the region.
"Stable childcare access would enable more families to maintain a steady income and, in turn, secure and sustain housing," the report states.
