Ensuring Stable Housing for Refugee

1
Ensuring Stable Housing for Refugee Immigrant
Families-

• Presenters Amina Ahmed, Someireh Amirfaiz, Lisa
  Vatske

2
Who is a Refugee

• The status of Refugee is granted to an
  individual who "owing to a well-founded fear of
  being persecuted for reasons of race, religion,
  nationality, membership of a particular social
  group or political opinion, is outside the
  country of his nationality, and is unable to, or
  owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself
  of the protection of that country.
• UNHCR

3
Refugees World Wide in the US

• Globally, the number of displaced individuals
  rose to 43.4 million, the highest total since the
  1990s.
• Almost half of refugees are women and children
  under the age of 18.
• Globally, during the past 20 years, 25 million
  refugees have returned home.
• Developing countries were host to four-fifths of
  the worlds refugees.
• The United States admitted close to 70,000
  refugees in 2013
• Ranked 27th when comparing number of refugees
  admitted to GDP and the overall population

4
Refugees World-Wide in the US

• Refugees flee torture, war, and violence
  forcibly displaced from their homes to live in
  extreme poverty, starvation, inadequate housing,
  unsanitary living conditions, and in constant
  fear for the lives of themselves and family
  members
• Most refugees are initially resettled into
  refugee camps in a second country, where they
  continue to face limited job opportunities,
  extreme poverty, limited resources and inadequate
  shelter
• Refugees often live in camps for prolonged
  periods of time, some living there for decades,
  with children who have never known what its like
  to live in their own home

5
Refugee Population in Washington State and King
County

• Washington State ranks 8th in refugee
  resettlement
• From 2009-2013 Washington State became home to
  9,710 refugees
• An additional 1,206 refugees resettled in 2014
  (10/2013 - 3/2014)
• 54 of refugees resettled in King County
• 20 -30 of the population in King County are
  born outside US

6
Refugee Population of Washington State and King
County

• Washington State ranks fourth in secondary
  migration
• Refugees who have been resettled in other states
  and move to Washington State
• 75 of secondary migrants to Washington State
  will eventually re-settle in King County

7
Resettlement Assistance in the US

• Refugees initially work with Voluntary Agencies
  (VOLAGs) to help them resettle and obtain federal
  assistance
• Initial Federal Assistance
• 1,100 per individual in upfront cash assistance
• Single Adults can receive 360 a month in cash
  assistance and food stamps for up to 8 months
• Families with children under the age of 18 can
  receive TANF
• Family of 3 562 a month, increasing about 100
  per eligible person, with a maximum of 1,320 per
  month
• For most families, payments barely cover rent
• Most refugees try to start their own business

8
Realities in the Adoptive Country

• Refugees spend time in camps waiting to either
  return home or be granted asylum by a third
  country where they can permanently settle and
  re-start their lives
• Many come to the US with hopes and dreams for a
  better future and a strong determination to
  succeed
• Socio-economic conditions and political climate
  impedes or enhances acculturation and success

9
CULTURE SHOCK

• Definition
• The arts, beliefs, customs, institutions, and all
  other products of human work thought created by
  a people or group of people at a particular time.
• Causes
• Loss of mother-country and shared history
• Stress of multiple changes.
• Loss of self-esteem and identity.
• Unpredictability of new environment.
• Lack of awareness of culture shock phenomena.

10
Factors Contributing to Homelessness

• Limited English proficiency
• Lack of Transferable Skills
• Professional experiences/ degrees not recognized
  or Lack of Formal Education
• Inability to access living wage jobs
• Large Families in some populations stereotypes
  based on race
• Very low income households due to unemployment or
  under-employment
• Trauma-related mental health Issues including
  high prevalence of PTSD
• Unfamiliarity with Western systems and community
  resources

11
Barriers to Housing

• Level of income
• Source of income
• Lifestyle stereotypes
• Lack of cultural capital limited knowledge of
  the housing system
• Landlord discrimination
• Language
• Lack of affordable housing for large families
• Mental health status
• Limited or no knowledge of institutions and
  culture
• Limited experience with dominant culture
• Stigma

12
Economy Homelessness

• Economic Downturn
• The economic downturn hits refugees hardest as
  competition for scarce jobs increases
• Limited English proficiency , lack of
  transferable skills, formal education and
  inability to re-credential makes it more
  difficult for refugees to find employment
• Agencies across the nation have reported
  increased difficulty in placing their refugee
  clients in jobs

13
Economy Homelessness

• Lack of Affordable Housing
• Particularly in King County, refugees are
  challenged by finding affordable housing
• With large families, many struggle to pay rent
  for one bedroom apartments, with entire families
  sleeping on limited floor space
• After initial resettlement assistance runs out,
  refugees can no longer afford to pay rent or
  utility bills

14
Invisibly Homeless

• 2010 One Night Homeless Count
• 1,152 adults and children were identified as
  refugees or immigrants - up from 778 in 2009
• Although this captures the increase in
  homelessness among refugees and immigrants, it
  does not capture the homeless on the streets
• Most are invisibly homeless, briefly living off
  and on with family or community members
• Refugees are more likely to be invisibly homeless
  than mainstream populations due to cultural norms
  and lack of data

15
Why Isnt the System Working for Refugees?

• Lack of Representation at the Systems level
• Lack of targeted resources due to aggregated or
  no data and representation
• Political climate
• Refugees are not accessing shelter services
• Lack of education about housing resources
• Fear of splitting up families
• Unknown service providers with few relationships
  to refugee communities

16
Why Isnt the System Working for Refugees?

• Lack of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate
  Services
• Refugees have a hard time independently accessing
  211 due to linguistic barriers
• While there is a shortage of mainstream shelters,
  there is an even greater shortage of shelters
  with the capacity to address the linguistic and
  cultural needs of refugees

17
Why Isnt the System Working for Refugees?

• Most homeless refugees are invisible, living
  temporarily with family or community members
• This places them as lower in priority and
  technically having more immediate resources
  than the visibly homeless population

18
Why Isnt the System Working for Refugees?

• Homeless refugees are often homeless families
• There are fewer shelters and temporary housing
  that can accommodate larger family sizes

19
Recommendations

• Homeless refugees have specialized needs that are
  not being addressed by mainstream models.
  Representation from refugee immigrant community
  is needed to articulates needs and shape policies
  and practices that better meet the housing needs
  of this populations.
• To address homelessness in these communities,
  de-centralized models are needed.
• Even without homes, community is especially
  important to refugees
• Addressing the problem should begin from the
  ground up, through networks of community members,
  community-based organizations, shelters, and
  landlords.

20
Recommendations

• Increase efficiency through inclusion and
  collaboration
• Facilitate and coordinate collaboration between
  housing and refugee and immigrant service
  providers to ensure wrap-around services and to
  maximize limited resources.
• Linguistically appropriate resources in places
  where refugees live and obtain services
• Expand language options for 211
• Increase and further advocate for rent subsidies
  from public and private entities to prevent
  homelessness

21
Recommendations

• Strengthen Connections between Community Agencies
  and Shelters
• Need better communication and service
  coordination
• Mainstream shelters do not have the capacity to
  deliver these services even when refugees are
  taken in
• Refugees need
• Culturally and linguistically appropriate
  services
• Wrap-around services like job training and ESL
• Trusted staff members

22
Recommendations

• Create shelter spaces for large families
• Refugees are not accessing shelter services
  because shelters cannot provide housing for
  larger family sizes
• Refugee families are either put on long
  wait-lists or will not seek shelter to avoid
  splitting up families
• Shelters are reluctant to house adolescent boys
• can increase youth homelessness when these
  families are split up

23
Recommendations

• Work with landlords
• Reduce discrimination by landlords
• Create more networks between refugee-serving
  organizations and landlords
• Create better lines of communication between
  refugee tenants and landlords

24
Recommendations

• Educate mainstream agencies and shelter staff
• Staff should have training in cultural competency
• Staff should be trained to deal with the mental
  health and health needs that refugees have make
  appropriate referrals
• PTSD, Culture Shock,
• Side effects of prolonged malnutrition

25
Recommendations

• Disaggregate and Track Data
• Increase outreach and resources for invisibly
  homeless refugees
• Need for data on this population
• Specific outreach and services are needed to
  place invisibly homeless in permanent housing
• Course correct when needed

26
CEHKC Immigrant and Refugee Focus Groups Feedback

•  Questions used in the focus groups
•  
• What is the biggest challenge when it comes to
  finding affordable housing? What could be better?
•  
• Too little inventory for affordable housing big
  enough for entire household
• Help with costs for sewer garbage fees
• Shared rental with other family members, others
  move out, rent too high for remaining person(s)
• Issues with Landlords / Tenancy
• - Need rental history, references for landlord
• - Landlords/Property Managers hold stereotypes
  about IR households

27
CEHKC Immigrant and Refugee Focus Groups Feedback

• What is the biggest challenge when it comes to
  learning English? What could be better?
•  
• Offer more English classes on weekends and with
  childcare
• Not enough ESL classes
• Daily household issues prevents focus on learning
  English
• Hard for older people to learn English
• Difficult to learn English and work at the same
  time
• Transportation to ESL classes

28
CEHKC Immigrant and Refugee Focus Groups Feedback

• What is the biggest challenge finding employment?
  What additional services do you think would
  improve employment opportunities?
•  Language
• Lacking necessary skills and certification/
  credential
• Lack of job trainings in own language
• Provide refugees with jobs that dont require
  English skills and that provide
  On-The-Job-Training.
• Explore jobs that are done by teams.
• Hard to find job without computer literacy.

29
CEHKC Immigrant and Refugee Focus Groups Feedback

• What is the biggest challenge when it comes to
  transportation? What could be better?
•  Not having a car and how to drive
• Free or subsidized bus ticket or ORCA Card,
  especially during rain and snow season
• Transportation assistance, for graveyard shifts
  or to attend ESL classes
• More ESL to learn how to ride the bus
• Jobs and services closer to home.