Adopting an intersectional lens to understand the subjective geography of housing access
The aim of this paper is to examine the role of identity markers and their intersections in the residential experiences of Francophone newcomer families in Ottawa-Gatineau, a bilingual city and the only census metropolitan area in Canada divided by an interprovincial border. While these families are among the most vulnerable households in the National Capital Region, the differences in residential trajectories within the same group led us to explore the unique combinations of identity markers that occur and vary depending on the geographical and temporal context. Attention will be paid to the influence of space in these combinations and to identifying markers other than class, gender and race. Taking an intersectional feminist approach, this exploratory study relied on qualitative methods, specifically semi-structured interviews with government and community sector representatives, as well as with Francophone immigrant families in both municipalities.