HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING
INSTABILITY AMONG REFUGEE
FAMILIES IN TWIN CITIES
Rachele King, Minnesota Council of Churches
&
Hyojin Im, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
* Acknowledgement to Heading Home Hennepin, Refugee Housing Council,
Annie E. Casey Foundation and Minnesota Family Housing Fund
1
Refugees come to Minnesota having survived
unimaginable trauma. Imagine for a moment:
You flee your homeland…
You survive…
You don’t know what your future holds…
You struggle…
You are offered an opportunity…
You are told that you will be going to Minnesota...
You don’t know …
You hope…
2
Definition of Refugee
A person who has been forced
to flee his/her homeland and
is unable to return because
she or he has experienced
persecution or has a well-
founded fear of persecution.
3
Persecution based on:
Race
Religion
Nationality
Membership of a
particular social group
Political opinion
4
The Life of a Refugee
Stuck in limbo
Little or no opportunity to pursue education or stable
employment
Residing in refugee camps with unsafe conditions
Violence
Disease
5
The Life of a Refugee
Kakuma
Refugee
Camp in
Kenya
6
Refugee Realities: Refugees often stay in
protracted refugee situations for years or even
decades. Less than ½ of 1% of are
permanently resettled globally in a year.
Photo Courtesy of UNHCR
7
Kakuma, Kenya8
Refugee resettlement is a Humanitarian
Program of the US Government through the
Department of State (PRM)
Home country is unwilling or unable to protect them.
The place they live does not offer a durable solution.
9
Being approved to come to the
USA
Several interviews by Non governmental organizations
Department of Homeland security – Refugee Corps interviews to determine refugee status
DNA testing (New)
Security checks
Health screenings
Cultural orientation
Travel Loan
10
Nine national agencies contracted by the US Department of State
to provide “initial reception and placement” services to newly
arrived refugees through an allocation process.
.
11
Every primary refugee arrival arrives through a
resettlement agency.
12
“Refugee” or “Asylee” is a distinct
immigration status in the USA
Work authorized upon arrival
Indefinite status upon arrival
Path to US Citizenship
Eligible for benefits, like a US Citizen.
Specialized services may be available (vary from
state to state).
13
26 nationalities we have worked with since 2007.
Afghanistan
Burma
Bhutan
Cambodia
Democratic Republic of Congo
Eretria
Ethiopia
Hmong
Iraq
Indonesia
Kenya
Liberia
Nepal
Nigeria
Somalia
Sudan
Tibet
Togo
Uganda
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Moldova
Zambia
Zimbabwe
14
What happens when…
… your hopes are not realized?
What happens if your housing is not sustainable?
What happens when you are not able to support your
family?
What happens when you are unsure how to best help
your children?
What happens when your hope fades?
15
The first refugee homeless crisis in MN
In 2006 60 refugee families moved to a local shelter.
The response: The MN Council of Churches Refugee
Supportive Housing Network (RSHN) : A successful model of
helping the most vulnerable among us achieve Housing
Stability.
Since that time, MCC has worked with more than 200 refugee
families (more than 1,000 individuals) who were homeless, or
at risk to become homeless.
16
A story
“UNHCR brought us to the U.S. and to North Carolina on October
27th in 2009. We didn‟t know anybody and there aren‟t many
Somalis there. Only about 10 Somalis [were in town]. They were all
busy running after their lives and jobs. The resettlement agency paid
for rent for the first six months and then we were asked to pay rent.
We were getting $300 for public assistance and the rent was $650.
[......] Life there was hard as we didn‟t have any support. It was OK
until my child got sick and we didn‟t have anybody to help us. We
didn‟t have diapers for kids for 3 months because no one helped us.
[......] We heard about Minnesota and borrowed money from mosque
for bus fare although knowing no one here [in Minnesota]. A Somali
taxi driver let us sleep with them for one night and dropped us off
here [in the homeless shelter] in the next morning.” (43, a Somali man
with 4 kids and a wife, who resettled in October 2009)
17
Homeless Refugees?
“It may be the first case
like this,” State
Refugee Coordinator
Marlene Myers said
this week, “but it won‟t
be the last.”
First a refugee now
homeless (Nov. 28th, 2009,
News & Records)
18
Refugee Families Struggling with Housing
Increase in housing insecurity and homelessness
among refugee populations
Few empirical studies or reports on refugee housing
issues in the U.S.
Little is known about current status, etiology, unique
challenges or risk/preventive factors of refugee
homelessness: “Hidden homelessness”
Policy gap: No housing policy specific for refugee
populations
19
Community-Based Research
Growing needs to understand:
current status of housing insecurity among refugees
unique challenges and risk factors for homelessness
among refugee families
How to serve homeless refugee families (culturally
responsive service provision)
How to intervene and prevent refugee
homelessness (policy intervention)
20
Community-Based Research
Refugee Housing Council & Heading Home
Hennepin collaborated with University of Minnesota
School of Social Work and Center for Urban and
Regional Affairs
Survey with 250 refugees from five ethnic groups,
Somali, Karen, Hmong, Liberian & Oromo, who
reside in Twin Cities (March – May 2008)
Interviews with 17 homeless refugee families
(Somali, Hmong, Congolese, Iraqi & Sudanese) in a
private homeless shelter in Minneapolis (April 2010)
21
Housing Stability:
Length of stay (1st, 2nd and current places)
2.7
7.0
0.9
2.2
4.4
3.3
2.5
4.9
0.6 2
3.63.1
1.63.1
0.6 0.81.9 1.7
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Somali Hmong Karen Liberian Oromo Total
Duration in the 1st placeDuration in the 2nd placeDuration in current place
Yrs
22
Housing Stability:
Move frequency and time taken to own house
3.35
0.3
2.54
0.5
2.48
0.3
2.34
0.2
1.62
0.1
2.54
0.3
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Hm
on
g
So
mali
Lib
eri
an
Oro
mo
Kare
n
To
tal
Move frequency
Number of housing crisis
4.16
1.36 1.321.07
0.2
1.82
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Hm
on
g
Oro
mo
So
mali
Lib
eri
an
Kare
n
To
tal
Time taken to live in "own" place*(yrs)
* The meaning of living in “own” place differs from a respondent’s perception and understanding. It does not only refer to “buying a house and legally own the property” but also includes the meaning of “paying rent for the house themselves.”
23
Housing Stability:
Reason for moving 24
Housing Stability:
Housing crisis
double
up
11%
shelter
6%
no
crisis
79%
discord
4%
doubleup shelter discord no_crisis
29%18%
7%25%
14% 19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
So
mal
i
Hm
on
g
Kar
en
Lib
eria
n
Oro
mo
To
tal
Crisis
No crisis
25
Housing Stability:
The greatest difficulty in finding a house
Others
2%
Expensive rent
41%
No proper house
available
10%
Small APT
18%
Language barrier
28%
Can't live with all
family members
1%
Language barrier
Small APT
No proper house available
Can't live with all family members
Others
Expensive rent
26
Social Services & Help-Seeking:
Help-seeking intention & helping sources
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
helping source for
current house
helping source for
housing problem
Myself & others
People in my church or
mosqueCounty social service
programCommunity non-profit
agencyResettlement agency
Friends and neighbors
Family or relatives
27
Social Services:
Barriers to using social services
Not very
helpful
10%
Language
barrier
41%
Lack of info
on services
17%
Lack of
cultural
understandin
g
17% Bad
experience
11%
Can't trust
4%
Bad experience Lack of cultural understanding
Lack of info on services Can't trust
Not very helpful Language barrier
28
What survey informed includes:
Stability of refugees‟ first housing is associated with future success in housing.
Help-seeking intention and trust is negatively associated with accessibility to social services
Newly resettled refugees have more expectations and trust in social services, but also more language barriers and transportation issues that bar social service access. They also have less informal social support.
The longer refugees stay in the U.S., the less they trust social service agencies and develop more informal helping-sources.
Housing is too expensive to solve informally.
Lack of ethnic community‟s support matters.
Marginalized groups. e.g. Togolese
29
An Ecology of Migration and Resettlement
Pre-migration
(War & Political
Violence)
Migration(refugee camps)
Post-migration
(Resettlement)
Social Integration
30
Unique Risk Factors (Pre-Migration)
Traumatic events
“It was very scary during the move from Laos to Thai. All I could
recall was my head kept dipping in the water preventing me from
seeing much. I could hear the gun shots and see the sparks when a
shot was fired. If a person was hit by the bullet, that person is
dead.” (40, a Hmong single mother with 9 children recalling when
she was 7)
Family separation of loss of family
“During the war, I was separated from my kids for one year. My four
older boys got lost and my late husband went back to the war zone to
find them. Eventually, I found my 4 older boys, but my husband died
when he went back to look for them.”
31
Pre-migration
Different housing/residential culture
“There are major differences in the systems. Back home if you find a
place, you can move in the same day and pay the deposit at the end of
the month. Here you have to do a background check, rent history and must
pay the first month‟s rent and deposit on the same day.”
“I was born in camp and have never paid a rent. The facility was very
poor but it was just stable. I‟ve never worried about a place to stay at
least. I didn‟t expect to pay a rent before (coming here).”
“The place we lived in the refugee camp was a semi-permanent structure
that isn‟t suitable for any human being. What we have here is more
decent. But the issue is stability. We didn‟t feel any pressure and restriction
in the camp. We were free although the conditions were pathetic. Children
were free to play wherever they want and they were familiar with
everything.”
32
Risk factors - Migration
No real life – lack of education, no job skills, etc.
“There was really no good life in the refuge camp. We were
not living and we were not dead. We were afraid constantly
of either going to jail or being killed. Nobody can visit you
there. Here we found safety which is very important for us. So
in a sense we traded safety to become homeless.” (44, a
Somali male with 7 children and a wife)
“What we could do was just sewing. That was the only work
that we could find in the camp. I couldn‟t find that kind of job
here [in the U.S.], so I am still struggling. I even cannot read a
letter and cannot speak English.” (40, a Hmong mother with 9
children)
33
Migration
Mistrust in health professionals
“My uncle had taken his daughter to the hospital and
brought her back dead a couple of days later. She couldn't
have died. She only had a bad headache. They [Thai
doctors/nurses] must have killed her for her organs or blood.
We will never know.”
34
Resettlement - Arrival
Relief and gratitude
“[when I first came to the U.S.] I was happy and did not expect to have
any problems with finding a home. I was grateful to the U.S. because I
didn‟t have a husband and Americans seemed to become my extended
family.” (45, A single Somali women with 7 children)
Gap between expectations and realities
“We were happy for a little bit, then we realized the housing problem
and then we were really stressed. The older kids would see me upset
and wondering where we would all end up. And then, they start to
worry. They told me it was better in the refugee camp because we had
free shelter and why I brought them here.” (Somali parents with 7
children)
35
Resettlement – Early stage
Language barriers
No transportation
Lack of information/orientation
Lack of support: We came to the U.S. on November 11th, 2009 at
St. Louis, MO. The international Institute helped us move to an
apartment. When they paid for the first 2 months they told us to
pay from then on. We were getting $500 cash from the
government and the rent was $800. There were nobody to help
buy groceries, we had food stamp but my kids were hungry
because we did not know where to find a grocery store and how
to get there. ” (wife-41 and huband-44 with 7 children, staying in
the U.S. for 5 months)
36
Resettlement – Early stage
Barriers to service access
“We had access to health care there provided by UNHCR. If there is
lack of health care it is in the U.S. not in the refugee camps.” (43,
Somali man with 4 children, who has stayed in the U.S. for six months)
No cultural community/ lack of interpretation services
“There were only ten Somalis in town. I couldn‟t get an interpreter at
the hospital when my kid was sick.”
Loss of social support (even from camp)
“We got along with the residents of the camp. They were all Somali.
We relied on each other. They would give you food when you run out
and vice versa. They were there for us and we were there for us when
needed. Now I have no one with me.”
37
Resettlement – Early stage
Loss of social support
“I don‟t have a chance, time, energy or transportation to
maintain a social life. It‟s just me and my kids. ...... In my
country, you had a chance to socialize, but there is just no
time in America. Twelve hours here is like one hour back
home. It is because I have no help. Help even comes in the
form of social activity, but nobody has time here because
they are busy with their own lives.”
38
Resettlement – Secondary migration
Unable to get proper services/interventions
“Arizona was our first settlement when we came to the US. The
agencies that resettled us had prepared an apartment for us in
which they paid the rent for the first three month. The kids were
enrolled in school and were away the most part of the day. It
was a very strange and new environment for us at first. I didn‟t
know where to start life. I wanted to work and support my family
both here and back home but wasn‟t able to. The three months
ended and I had to come up with half of the four month rent
which was $310. I didn't have any means in mind to pay that
amount. I then decided to leave for Minnesota and even then
didn‟t have any means to travel. The few Somalis we met there
helped and contributed to our bus fare to Minnesota.”
39
Secondary migration
“I first arrive in Portland, Maine. I left Maine because I got sick and needed
help with my disabled son, so I was looking for Somalis. I came to Boston to
have surgery [for my son]. When I had surgery, people tried to take my kids
from me so I got scared. There were no interpreters and no Somalis. I went to
Boston because I was told I would find a good doctor for my disabled son,
but I didn‟t end up finding one. I regret leaving Maine because I was given a
5 bedroom home with a ramp. ... ... When I came to Boston, I went to a
shelter and the welfare office. The welfare office put us in a hotel that
resembled a shelter, and it was expensive so the government took us to
„western hotel‟‟. We stayed there for 4 months and we could not get a home
because of the same issue that we had in Maine. Finally a few Somali
families put some money together for us so that we could come to Minnesota.
When I came to Minnesota, I encountered problems of conflict because 8
people cannot live in one family. ... ... I have been looking for a house for 4
months.” (38, A single Somali mother with 7 sons)
40
Resettlement – Later stage
Loss of job
“I worked for the company for six years. A new manager didn‟t like
me and he fired me. When I tried to find a new job, he refused to
write a reference letter for me. I applied for so many jobs but
couldn‟t find one. I was kicked out three months after then.” (41, a
Congolese mother with 3 children, who have stayed in the U.S. for 10
years)
Family conflict (domestic violence)
“My husband did not only steal my bank card where welfare for my
kids deposit, but also threatened my brother whom I lived together
and said he would kill him [my brother] if he wouldn‟t leave the house
by that night. I left the house with three of my kids that night.”
41
Resettlement – Later stage
Family conflict (due to cultural issues)
“After I got married to him [who is a Christian], my
family don‟t talk to me. My mom and my brothers
believe in shamanism. It took almost five years to have
conversation with my mom but I don‟t feel really close
to her. Maybe so does she. My brother lives in a four-
bedroom house with his wife. But they don‟t know me
that I am staying in this place [homeless shelter].” (38, a
Lao women with 3 kids, who stayed in the U.S. for 26
years)
42
Living as a homeless
“In the refugee camps, we only had to had fear and
hunger. We have to pay off the crops. However, we are
worst of here [in the U.S.] because we don‟t know the
language, we can‟t defend ourselves. My children get
beat up but they get in trouble because they can‟t
speak the language.” (42, a Somali father of 8
children)
43
Living in a shelter
Strict regulations & distress
“It [the shelter] is obviously better looking than what we called
home for 19 years [refuge camps]. But it‟s not restful at all and I
would say our shanty hut was more restful because we didn‟t
have to worry about being kicked out the following morning.
Because of the strict rules, I have to constantly monitor the
children‟s movement and make sure they don‟t raise their voices
high enough to attract attention, make sure they don‟t jump
around and break anything that will have us kicked out. These
restrictions have really put me and the children in a prison-like
confinement. I barely get any sleep because of worrying about
the situation.” (38, Somali single woman with 7 sons including one
with physical disabilities)
44
Impact of housing insecurity
Mental health issues (both parents and children)
“The only thing I would say is (that) worrying is unstableness of
shelter. We are stressed and constantly worried about when
our time will expire and be kicked out of the shelter.” (38, a
Hmong mother with eleven children)
“We were practically helpless when we were told to pay a
half of the fourth month‟s rent in Arizona. I didn‟t have any
way of paying that amount by myself. The kids looked wary
and always asked what would happen next. I learned through
people that I would find more community support in Minnesota
and therefore decided to pack and leave for Minnesota.” (41,
a single Somali mother with seven children)
45
Impact of housing insecurity
Negative change in family relationships
“They [my kids] perceive me differently because I tend to be
extra harsh and strict on them about playing around and
touching things that might result in us being kicked out of this
place. I‟m forced to keep a constant eye on them.”
Distrust in service systems
“There are a lot of empty houses out there. There is not a
single small one for me and my kids. Company can give you a
hard time. School teachers give you a hard time. Neighbors
give you a hard time. America gives you a hard time.”
46
Strengths and Preventive Factors
Survivals of tremendous atrocities
Stable family systems before migration (resilience)
Children with great resilience and cultural
adjustment (a “cultural broker” between parents
and social systems)
Informal helping sources within the community (ex.
extended families and/or clan)
Connected with social system (until losing the
connection after benefits are over)
47
Implications
Refugee homelessness is better understood in the
contexts of forced migration and resettlement
process.
Unique backgrounds of each refugee group should be
considered
Integral policy and services for supporting
resettlement process
Health/mental health, education, employment &
acculturation are highly associated with housing
Culturally sensitive housing support
Understand family structure, strengthening refugee
community
48
Implications
Understanding change in needs
Early stage (arrival – less than a year)
transportation, language & social support for service access
cultural orientation
secondary migration
Integral services (ex. Case management)
Later stage (after five years)
more resources
Trust
strengthening families and communities
49
Toward Stable Housing
Linking Policy/Services
Bridging
Communities
Bonding
Families
• Connecting resources between refugee and host communities
• Intercultural capacity building
• Informal social support matters (building healthy community)
• Strengthening families in social integration process
• Culturally responsive,
integral policy intervention
• Services relevant to
changing needs
50
RSHN Success Stories: Fartun
Fartun is a 24 year refugee mother who was trying to support her three young children while her husband tried to find work in another state. Through RSHN she was able to save her housing, which helped create the stability she needed to be able to attend school and search for a job. Within 5 months Fartun found employment and has maintained it since. What I find most astonishing is how Fartun has been able to rebound from some very unfortunate events and gain strength and self-confidence with each one. Weeks after finding employment her husband was killed in a car accident. Fartun has since moved to a new apartment, gotten her driver‟s permit and is practicing for her driver‟s test, and has improved her English skills. In the 11 months Fartun has been in this program she has gone from very, very limited English to helping her case manager and others interpret for other clients during home visits and workshops. She attends our Women‟s Group and helps other women in similar situations find the resources they need to improve their situations. Despite her hardships, her self-confidence continues to soar.
51
RSHN Success story: Hibaq
Hibaq was a 20 year old refugee woman who was living on the street when she was enrolled into RSHN. Every night she would find a different friend‟s car to sleep in while she applied and waited to be approved for housing. She was moved into housing a month later. Since she moved into housing 3 months ago she has gone from no English to having basic conversation with her case manager in English. She attended Ready for Success and received clothing and quickly found a part time job. Although her employment ended due to her FedEx branch closing, she has been meeting with her employment counselor multiple times a week to find a new income. She attends our Women‟s Support Groups and is always waiting at the door when we pick her up. All of this shows her progress on her goals, but what I find the most impressive is the level of self-confidence she has gained from this experience. Hibaq now walks around with a light in her eyes that was absent when she was enrolled. She has absolutely blossomed during her participation in this program!
52
RSHN Success: “Moua”
In 2006, at age 17, “Moua” arrived to the United states with his parents and 4 younger siblings. Three years later, when he was 20, both of his parents died in a car crash and he and his 18 year old wife became guardian of his younger siblings ages 9,11,13 and 15 years old. When MCC met “Moua” and his wife in November of 2009 they were expecting their first child at any moment. They moved into an affordable 3 bedroom apartment secured through the RSHN program the day their child was born. “Moua” and his wife and siblings were all born in a refugee camp in Thailand. This was the first permanenthousing of their lifetime. In April of 2011 the family graduated from the RSHN program due to increase in income. Prior to being housed by the RSHN program, the family lived together in a shelter for nearly one year. As of today, they remain in the first and only house they have ever been able to call home.
53
Contact Information
Rachele King ([email protected])
Hyojin Im ([email protected])
Disclaimer: Some of the contents are under publication and protected by copy
rights from the publisher. Please contact Hyojin Im to use or cite any part of the
slides 17 – 50. Thank you!
54