Housing, transportation, mental help are barriers for resettlement centers, refugees
Over 1,000 refugees will arrive in Stanislaus County within a year as resettlement centers say it’s hard to find housing, transportation and mental health services for the Afghans already here.
A low inventory of affordable housing, limited ride sharing and lack of culturally competent mental health clinicians are ongoing struggles for local residents. But with an estimated 1,425 refugees fleeing to Stanislaus County beginning in October through September 2022, organizations are asking for help and compassion.
About 49,000 evacuees from Afghanistan are stationed across eight domestic military bases, waiting to go through medical and security screenings, reports The New York Times. Normally, refugees are assigned to a resettlement agency before they arrive in the U.S., but rising tensions are causing some to finish their process in the States, said Sarah Williams, community engagement manager at World Relief Modesto, a resettlement organization.
California is home to large hubs of Afghan refugees, with Sacramento hosting the largest population, San Francisco the second and the Central Valley the third. Refugees are placed in the areas either because they have family here or there’s an established Afghan community.
During a briefing Thursday, Williams said she used to be able to find housing for refugee families before they got to the country — or at the latest, a week after arrival. Now, it’s taking World Relief more than a month to find housing, and even then, some are still in temporary living quarters.
“Until we have permanent affordable housing, it’s kind of hard to get life started, look for a job and get the kids in school,” she said, adding that a permanent home is key to integrating these families into their new lives.
Rising rent prices are also a point of concern, said Vivien Jacob, director of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Turlock, another local resettlement organization. Cost of living is a consideration that must be taken into account when placing refugees, according to IRC.
“The rent has increased a lot and sometimes it’s not affordable even though they receive benefits from the county,” she said.
Rent data shows that the current average cost for a two-bedroom apartment in Modesto is $1,224, nearly 11% more than the previous year, when rent was about $1,105. Some good news is that if you can find a two-bedroom apartment, Modesto is the least expensive city in the nation to upsize.
Adding to the housing problem, host families are unable to accommodate families. A family may provide a room to an individual, Jacob said, or a single host can room with a single refugee of the same gender.
When affordable permanent housing is identified, the next challenge is that refugees often don’t meet the property owners’ requirements, Williams said. They don’t have proof of income, job history or credit.
However, Jacob added that refugees often gain employment within 60 to 90 days after arrival and she hopes landlords take that into consideration.
Afghans need help but want to stand on own
Many Afghan refugees who’ve settled in the county have become entrepreneurs, some creating trucking and car lot businesses, said Williams.
“They don’t want, necessarily, the public benefits for very long… they do want to stand on their own two feet,” Williams said.
Mastafa, who didn’t want to use his last name, arrived in the county as a refugee in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He agrees that refugees want to stand on their own and that many of the refugees headed here are educated like himself.
Some refugees are doctors, engineers and other needed professions. “If we work with them to get back to their field, that would be better,” he said, adding that getting refugees the legal documentation to work is critical for their upward mobility.
Limited ride sharing, mental health providers
Access to transportation is another barrier refugees face, Jacob said. It’s causing a delay for some families to be able to enroll for benefits or receive them. Volunteer drivers are needed.
“We don’t have as many Lyft or Uber drivers, so when we want to get them to their appointments, sometimes there’s a delay and we have to reschedule,” said Jacob.
A community’s ability to provide medical services is another consideration that must be taken into account when placing a family, according to IRC. But as Afghan refugees make their way to the region, many potentially having post-traumatic stress disorder, organizations are concerned that they will not be able to seek mental health services because of the language barrier and lack of culturally competent clinicians.
“There needs to be some mental help to ease what they have gone through,” said Jacob, once a refugee herself.
While monetary donations are welcome, help from property owners, businesses, banks and volunteers is important, too, said Marian Kaanon, president and CEO of the Stanislaus Community Foundation. “There’s really an opportunity for all of us in some way to lend support,” she said.
Those interested in donating to World Relief Modesto or IRC can do so at bit.ly/3hMSerQ and bit.ly/3nO7GYA, respectively. IRC has also set up an Amazon wish list, where items will automatically be delivered to it.
The aid organizations welcome Visa, Target and Walmart gift cards and gently used furniture. To sign up to volunteer or for more information, go to www.worldrelief.org/modesto and www.rescue.org/united-states/turlock-ca.
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
