/ Access, quality and equity of care

“Can you send someone who speaks my language?” Language barriers among older adults living in Toronto’s social housing

• Christine Sheppard and Brenda Roche

This report focuses on older adult tenants with limited English proficiency who live in Toronto’s social housing. Many expressed challenges understanding tenant-related documents and announcements as they were often communicated in English. This made it difficult for tenants to engage with housing staff and participate in their community.

For older tenants with limited English proficiency to live with dignity and comfort in their homes, this report offers five recommendations for housing providers:

  1. Record the languages of all older tenants and track preferred language of communication—as well as English proficiency levels.
  2. Improve language-access. This can include offering interpretation and/or translation services at community events.
  3. Ensure that staff are trained on how to access and use available translation/interpretation services.
  4. Proactively share information with tenants in languages they understand. This includes information related to housing (e.g., leasing documents, tenant handbook, annual rent reviews, building notices) as well as information on community agencies that offer services in diverse languages.
  5. Foster tenant empowerment and ensure that tenants with limited English proficiency have opportunities to participate in and shape their community.
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Christine Sheppard

Christine Sheppard

Dr. Christine L. Sheppard holds a Master’s in Social Work, specializing in gerontology, from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in Health Studies and Gerontology, with a focus on aging, health and well-being, also from the University of Toronto. Prior to starting at Wellesley Institute, she was a CIHR-funded post-doctoral fellow at Sunnybrook Research Institute, specializing in knowledge translation in urban housing and health.

Brenda Roche

Brenda Roche

Dr. Brenda Roche is Director of Research at the Wellesley Institute. She was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Anthropology and Health at the Gender, Violence and Health Centre of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She comes with academic and community-based research experience exploring social and health issues in urban settings, including homelessness, sexual health, violence and psychological trauma and distress. Her doctorate, through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, examined discourses on trauma that operate within the context of refugee resettlement, and how these influence health and social care practices for women (and their families) seeking political asylum in the United Kingdom.