Announcement
Housing Partners play a key role in home set-ups
Photo: IRC in NY
Refugees living in temporary housing experience difficulty in finding and affording a home. The reality is that not all homes come with the necessary furniture to move in comfortably. IRC in NYNJ has found that it can cost over $2,000 to pay for home furnishing and basics. The weight of this cost is often unattainable for many newcomers who are living in temporary housing and who may not yet have their work permits. Take a look at highlights from IRC in NY’s successful housing partnerships:
Upholding Humanity is an interfaith coalition based in Long Island serving refugee and immigrant community members. The IRC in NJ is grateful to Upholding Humanity volunteers who supported clients with move-ins and furnishing tasks. In 2022, Upholding Humanity helped around 6 IRC families including a family with youth facing a challenging transition. They are currently supporting 3 IRC families in addition to their caseload.
Upholding Humanity strongly believes that there is always an emergency that the community can lean in to support. Depending on their interests and experience, volunteers help clients through a number of supports, such as finding long-term stable employment, assisting with interpretation, benefit applications, and ordering groceries. They also provide and take referrals for their English tutoring/ESL support that is supported by volunteers.
This partnership has been impactful, as volunteers at Upholding Humanity support IRC clients who struggle living in temporary housing and are provided with much-needed hands-on support to ensure homes are ready to move into.
Ruth’s Refuge
Furniture and home supplies such as mattresses, frames, tables, and chairs are critical to a home. In some cases, there is an available home for a client, but it might not have simple items such as mattresses to sleep on or a table to enjoy a meal. Many clients are in need of immediate relief and furniture items contribute to the safety and mobility into new homes. The IRC in NY is thankful to Ruth’s Refugee for supporting clients.
Ruth's Refuge provides home furnishings and critical essentials to refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers in New York City. They began in 2019 as a mighty volunteer group which soon expanded to a large network. Motivated by the principle of connecting the community, Ruth’s Refugee takes a client-centered approach at every service level.
Volunteers are matched to the right assignment that aligns with their talents and interests. They receive relevant training to prepare for the service. Volunteers, from all generations and cultures, support accompanying clients in picking out furniture, organizing storage, cataloging inventory, assembling furniture, and the final step: setting up the home.
The simple gesture of furnishing support leaves such a significant impact. With this critical support, clients are able to move into their homes and organize their personal belongings into their furniture.
Ruth’s Refugee maintains a furniture Wishlist and waiting list to keep track of clients waiting for their home & furnishing essentials. In 2022, Ruth’s Refuge supported over 100 cases, from 25 countries, with home furnishing. They also supported the IRC in NY with 7 families. At present, since January, they have already served 20 cases. To do this work, Ruth’s Refugee relies on the active participation and generosity of volunteers.
In addition, the IRC in NY is grateful to Neighbors for Refugees, Hearts & Homes (who supported with furnishing homes/assisting with move-ins), and Women for Afghan Women who made invaluable recommendations on locally available housing and connecting the team with a volunteer who fundraised for a family's household items. These are just a few of the partners who were integral to supporting families resettle in New York City. To learn more about housing challenges refugee families continue to face, please see here for New York.