Procedural environmental (in)justice at multiple scales: examining immigrant advocacy for improved living conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Distributional injustices have been documented by many environmental justice scholars in recent years, while procedural justice issues remain less explored. For instance, immigrants and newcomers disproportionately experience substandard housing conditions and discrimination in the housing market, but few studies have examined how immigrant communities are seeking to improve their living conditions or engage in related governance and advocacy processes. Drawing upon interviews and focus groups with residents, community organisers and representatives from social service agencies in Rexdale, an inner suburb of Toronto, this paper examines how immigrants and newcomers are reacting or taking action to improve conditions in a high-rise neighbourhood at the scale of their housing units, high-rise buildings, and neighbourhood. Through a procedural justice lens, cumulative, multi-scale injustices experienced by immigrants and newcomers are revealed. Findings reveal obstacles and barriers that are preventing immigrants from engaging in advocacy and other means of improving their living conditions, in addition to opportunities for increasing newcomer participation in housing and neighbourhood improvement efforts.