Learn about innovative housing projects and register for upcoming trainings.
Introducing Promising Practices: RHS' New Home for Highlighting Innovative Projects
The housing crisis that U.S. citizens and refugee newcomers alike are facing calls for innovation in the way we create, repurpose, and allocate housing.
RHS is sharing a new webpage this week to lift up the projects of innovators in housing to help inspire resettlement stakeholders in their work addressing the U.S. housing shortage. The new Promising Practices page highlights completed Housing Best Practices Toolkit Template from community stakeholders (including faith groups, churches, and educational institutions) and refugee resettlement agencies. It also features the growing library of toolkits developed by RHS and its partners.
Does your organization have a promising practice in housing? Let us know! We continue to accept submissions. Learn how to submit yours below.
Online Certificate Program: Advancing the Role of Community Stakeholders in Refugee Integration
Guilford College, in partnership with Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR) and Opening Universities for Refugees (OUR), is offering an online certificate program for refugee resettlement staff, community members, and other non-governmental organizations. Participants will take part in an interactive project “to solve or address a specific challenge in refugee experience, hosting, or resettlement by implementing an innovative approach/strategy based on what they have learned during the course.”
The program is offered over the course of three days with 15 hours of contact, split into five three-hour sessions. There are two upcoming cohorts:
Featured Resources
Get Involved
Discover opportunities to join a regional housing community of practice or become a member of the National Housing Working Group. Plus, don't miss out on our upcoming webinars and live trainings.
Upcoming Webinars & Meetings
Note: There are no regional housing community of practice (CoP) meetings in February. March CoP calls will take place at 2:00 p.m. ET each Wednesday and will cover the same topic each time. If you cannot join your respective region's call, then you are always welcome to join another region's call. Details on March meetings will be posted online and shared via email prior to the first March meeting, which is scheduled for March 6.
Housing 101: How to Screen and Vet a Potential Housing Provider
Monday, February 5 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Landlords use screening tools to assist them in selecting the right tenant, so why shouldn't an applicant? This webinar will teach participants how to screen and vet potential landlords to prevent rental fraud and predatory leases.
Monday, February 12 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
Once a newcomer becomes a renter, they have rights covered under federal, state, and local laws. These layers of laws prevent housing discrimination while ensuring tenants receive safe, sanitary, and functional housing. This webinar hosted by Refugee Welcome Collective will teach participants about tenants’ rights and renter responsibilities during a lease term.
Policy News
Refugee Housing Solutions Partners with Social Impact Technology Start-up Verent SolutionsVerent Solutions is a social impact technology start-up with which Refugee Housing Solutions is partnering to provide refugee housing stakeholders with innovative tools to streamline housing support for resettlement organizations and local governments. |
Florida Legislature Passes New Regulations for Short-term RentalsOn February 1, the Florida Senate passed a bill addressing the long-debated issue of short-term rentals in the state. While the rules were proposed with primarily vacation rentals in mind, they will apply to all short-term rentals -- including those rented through platforms like Airbnb, which has been used by resettlement agencies in recent years to secure temporary housing for newcomers. |
Visit our News & Updates page for more news related to housing and refugee resettlement.
