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Syrian families have a great opportunity in Canada continued from p.8 Too, monthly rent in Halton ranges from $891 for a bachelor unit to about $1,432 for a threebedroom unit. However if you look at the vacancy rates by unit size in the Halton Region report, a three bedroom unit has a vacancy rate of only 0.5 per cent. Families are large Jenkinson said sponsorship groups are experiencing difficulty when trying to find appropriate accommodations for the refugees. "Some of the families are very large, so when you're trying to house a family of eight or nine people, we're probably not talking about a threebedroom apartment anymore -- so, that's a challenge... especially when housing is short... to find those spaces for larger families." Such was the case for the Al-Balkhi family whose members arrived in Oakville Dec. 20, 2015. Its sponsoring group, Abraham's Children Together (ACT), comprised of the interfaith community across Oakville and Mississauga, worked feverishly to find the family of seven a home to call its own while its members were temporarily housed with Maple Grove United Church members Carlos and Katy Joaquim for two weeks. Oakville resident Sandra Onufryk, one of the Maple Grove United Church members who 15 | Friday, January 22, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com I cannot express how generous the community of Oakville has been for this family. We've had incredible support for this family, both in terms of volunteers and financial donations. Abraham's Children Together (ACT) volunteer Sandra Onufryk Sandra Onufryk | submitted photo have been spearheading the sponsorship project, told the Oakville Beaver Wednesday (Jan. 21) she made at least 15 calls while two other group members also helped look for accommodations for the family in and around Oakville. A number of factors made the process difficult, including timing (it was the holiday season) and a low-vacancy rate. "Many of the less-expensive apartments in Oakville are two-bedroom apartments; and, the second problem was some of the people, who owned three-bedroom apartments, didn't want to rent to a family of five children," said Onufryk, adding in one case, a landlord simply didn't want to rent to a Syrian refugee family. While other landlords didn't share that sentiment, they didn't have anything available. Despite the challenges, Onufryk said the Oakville community has proven to have a big heart. "I cannot express how generous the community of Oakville has been for this family," she said. "We've had incredible support for this family, both in terms of volunteers and financial donations." Onufryk illustrated by explaining while waiting in line at Service Ontario, someone went to Tim Hortons and returned with a large box of doughnuts for the family. "We had people come up to them in line and shake their hands and say, `Welcome to Canada. I'm hoping you'll have a better future,'" she said. Yet another person offered the Al-Balkhi family members jobs. The family has since settled into a threebedroom Mississauga townhouse, at Mavis Road and Eglinton Avenue, with $1,600 monthly rent. Onufryk said they caught a break when one of her book club friends led her to builder and developer The Daniels Corporation. The discounted rent will be in place for two years. Onufryk said she worries about the next waves of Syrian refugees and the difficulty they may face finding affordable housing. "I think it's going to be harder for the refugees who will come later because a lot of the cheaper places will be taken and there will be that much more competition for them," she said. "Affordable housing seems to be a huge issue in Oakville that needs to be addressed." Meanwhile Jenkinson said it's important to continue the work being done to help Syrian refugees acclimatize to Canada. "They're going to have a great life here in Canada. They have a great opportunity," she said. "If we can support them early on with their challenges and needs, I'm certain they will be a welcome addition to our community." TAkE ThE DULL OUT OF yOUR wInTER AnD REjUvEnATE yOUR FLOORS! DISCOUnTED pRICIng In jAnUARy AnD FEbRUARy OnLy ENJOY... 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