Resources and publications
COSTI undertakes, both independently and in cooperation with other organizations, innovative research and studies into the changing needs of newcomers and the disadvantaged.
Blueprint for IRER facing Intimate Partner Violence
COSTI, in partnership with Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), recently completed a Gender-Based Violence research project that delivered a blueprint that defines effective, culturally safe, and replicable components that aims to deliver wraparound services for women from Immigrant, Refugee, Ethnocultural and Racialized communities facing Gender-Based Violence.
A key aspect of our project was a community-based research design, where service-providing agencies and GBV survivors actively participated in designing data collection instruments, defining the program model, and leading the research project. View technical report.
Negotiating Homelessness
This research explores the lived experiences of immigrants and refugees in Toronto as they transition from homelessness into stable housing through COSTI’s Streets to Homes program. Grounded in first‑person narratives, the research reveals how structural barriers, such as discrimination, lack of affordable housing, limited knowledge of Canadian systems, and the impacts of trauma, shape newcomers’ pathways into and out of homelessness.
Overcoming the challenges facing newcomer youth at risk in Ontario
To Build on Hope examines the challenges faced by newcomer youth in Ontario who are at risk due to poverty, disrupted education, language barriers and discrimination. The study highlights gaps in access to schooling, employment pathways and family support. The report calls for better coordination across schools, governments and community agencies to improve credential recognition, expand language and academic supports, strengthen family‑centered services and create more inclusive, opportunity‑rich environments for immigrant youth to thrive.
Settlement in the workplace
Settlement in the Workplace examines the challenges newcomers face when they find employment soon after arriving in Canada. Through focus groups, employer interviews and agency consultations, the study reveals that employed newcomers still struggle with unresolved issues such as weak language skills, lack of credential recognition, limited knowledge of workplace culture and difficulty accessing services due to time and information barriers.
