Housing Sub-Committee
The expense of housing is the single biggest constraint on resettling refugees in Massachusetts. Our area offers good schools, good medical care, and good social services, and churches like Holy Trinity willing to help. But brand-new refugees with nothing but the clothes on their back can't afford an ordinary apartment.
What we need to find is a place where the rent can be reduced, at least for a while, or that for some other reason doesn't have to charge market rate, and that's big enough for a family to live in until they can learn some English, get jobs and begin to get on their feet. It's best if it is near public transportation since the family won't be able to afford a car. One possibility might be to create a temporary second-floor apartment in a home owned by an older person who can no longer manage the stairs, or who can't manage the yard care or mortgage payment. We may be able to get help making the necessary changes, which typically includes adding an upstairs kitchen and locked doors between the owner's space and the new apartment. Other options might also be possible - we have to get creative in order to solve this problem! So if you have an idea--any idea!-- please contact Ray Tilton and Dave Johnson at [email protected]. For more information about housing for refugees, see the Housing Resources Page. This committee (or a separate sub-committee) will also be responsible for collecting essential furnishings for our family's new living space.
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