London's tough rental market the biggest challenge for Ukrainian arrivals

As the Russian invasion continues to inflict extreme hardship on Ukraine, many families who've escaped continue to face significant struggles after arriving in London, Ont. 

Russia is now targeting the country's electrical infrastructure with missile attacks. These attacks are leading to widespread power shortages with much of the country in the dark and without heat as winter advances. 

In London, as many as 20 people fleeing the invasion arrive every week, though there's no running total on how many have come since the invasion began in February.

Nataliya Mulyar is a London realtor who — along with scores of other volunteers — donates her time to help Ukrainian refugees settle in London. 

She said the biggest challenge for arriving families is a lack of available rental accommodation. London's tight rental market, combined with everything from language barriers to missing work and credit history documents, pose real barriers to families exiled by the war. 

"A lot of the people who come here are women with children, and they don't speak the language and have no place to go," said Mulyar, who immigrated to Canada from Ukraine in 1997. 

Mulyar recently posted a warning on a Facebook group for Ukrainians in London. It was about a family that had a verbal agreement with a landlord to secure a rental, only to later learn after buying furniture that the landlord had changed his mind. The family, Mulyar said, had failed to get a written rental agreement. Mulyar also believes the landlord took advantage of them.

"It happened because there were more people looking here for rentals than there were people from the community who could help them," said Mulyar. "The renters didn't know what documents to ask for, they didn't know what to request or expect in our rental market. It creates a lot of challenges." 

The main message in her post to newly arrived Ukrainians is: Seek help from someone in the Ukrainian community when trying to secure accommodation. 

The Canadian government has taken steps to make it easier for Ukrainians to seek refuge in Canada, such as fast-tracking the processing of work visas. However, Mulyar said Ottawa should go further and create incentive programs for landlords.

"They need help with the first month's rent, child care, and so on," she said. "We need to help landlords accept Ukrainians." 

Oksana Delle Donne agrees more support is needed for new arrivals from Ukraine. She's a manager at the London Ukrainian Centre and said some arrivals are suffering from post-traumatic stress from fleeing war in their homeland. 

"People are trying to put their lives back together to make it normal again," she said. "It's very hard for everybody." 

Della Donne's parents and brother are still in Ukraine, and the daily effects of the war are taking a toll. Recently her parents were without electricity for three days. When the power is out, communication gets cut off with no easy way to charge mobile phones. 

"They're expecting the winter is going to be cold this year, and that makes it stressful for all of us," said Della Donne. "We don't know if there will be more attacks on infrastructure." 

Della Donne's parents are in a part of the country that has so far avoided direct bombardment, but her brother lives in a city where bombs have fallen close to the house.

"There is no safe place in Ukraine right now," she said. "The Russians are trying to hit as many civilians as they can." 

And while some landlords in London may be taking advantage of Ukrainians fleeing the war, Della Donne said others are stepping up and going out of their way to help. In some cases, landlords are offering a few months of free rent and a willingness to waive requirements for references and credit histories. 

Where you can give help, or get help

Anyone wishing to help new arrivals in London, can donate money or medical supplies to the London Ukrainian Centre. 

The London Cross Cultural Learner Centre has also set up a Ukraine Newcomer Fund for community donations.

The City of London has set up this list of government resources to help Ukrainians who've come to Canada to flee the invasion.