NEW: How to Vet Housing Providers & Properties Toolkit, Virtual Landlord Forum, and more!
New: How to Vet Housing Providers & Properties Toolkit
Refugee Housing Solutions published a new toolkit this week for resettlement staff, sponsors, volunteers, and other community members on how to thoroughly vet potential housing providers and their properties.
Due to a shortage of affordable housing in the U.S., resettlement agencies and others who help newcomers find housing must pursue more diverse and creative housing partnerships. And since resettlement staff are effectively the "first line of defense" against unscrupulous landlords, they must be very well informed in vetting potential housing providers and properties to ensure newcomer tenants receive safe, dignified, affordable housing.
The free toolkit covers key topics relevant to dealing with both single property owner-landlords as well as larger property management companies, including:
- Vetting housing providers and properties during an initial housing search
- The Fair Housing Act
- Sexual harassment detection in housing transactions
- Red flags to detect potential human trafficking
- Identifying predatory leasing practices
New Features Available on Housing Directory Map Tool
The Housing Hub and Directory is now live in Washington and Texas, bringing enhanced features to better serve our communities. The directory now includes map links to Google Maps, allowing users to easily locate nearby bus stops and train stations when they zoom in. Users can seamlessly navigate and select between various service categories, view services offered in different languages, identify newcomers who are eligible for services by demographics, and toggle between counties. These improvements aim to provide stakeholders with more comprehensive and accessible housing support information.
Refugee Housing Solutions is a project of Church World Service (CWS), which received a cooperative agreement through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, CA #90XR0092. The contents of the Housing Hub and Directory are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
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
Virtual Landlord Forum
Thursday, August 15 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Landlords and housing providers are invited to join a virtual open house to learn about Refugee Housing Solutions and how we can provide support in finding reliable tenants in refugees and other eligible newcomers.
Lunch and Learn: Sexual Harassment in Housing
Monday, August 26 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
Because newcomers are new to the U.S. rental market, they are not only at a higher risk of being discriminated against but may also face sexual harassment as well. In this webinar hosted by Refugee Welcome Collective, participants will learn about the different types of sexual harassment that may occur in a housing transaction, what protections newcomers have under the Fair Housing Act, and ways to safeguard newcomers from experiencing sexual harassment during a housing transaction.
Policy News
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves 10% Increase in HUD FundingThe U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations recently passed an FY25 spending bill that would provide $78.2 billion for HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development projects—a nearly 10% increase from the previous fiscal year. While the bill is approved by the Appropriations Committee, the legislation still needs to be reviewed by the rest of the Senate. |
Refugee Family Finds Temporary Housing Through Airbnb Partnership with Resettlement AgencyA Syrian refugee family of six that arrived to the U.S. found temporary housing via Airbnb in New Britain, Connecticut. The listing was booked through New Haven’s Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) and the bill was fully covered by Airbnb's nonprofit arm, Airbnb.org. |
Visit our News & Updates page for more news related to housing and refugee resettlement.
