Precarious home: Refugee resettlement amid a housing crisis

Keywords: refugee resettlement, housing, amenity migration, nontraditional resettlement destination
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 65

Abstract

Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. refugee resettlement program is experiencing an increase in refugee arrivals. This increase in the annual refugee ceiling, along with the recent arrival of Afghan immigrants, comes after four years of policies that sought to restrict and dismantle the U.S. refugee program. In the wake of this change, resettlement communities are now rapidly expanding their infrastructure and services and adapting to an increase in refugee and Afghan arrivals. In Missoula, Montana – a nontraditional resettlement destination – this increase in arrivals coincides with an acute housing crisis. Heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Missoula is witnessing an influx of wealthy amenity migrants and remote workers. This has resulted in an increase in housing prices as well as a scarcity of rental units for both new and longtime residents, straining local resettlement efforts. Yet, at the same time, the increase in refugee arrivals along with the ongoing housing shortage is prompting local discussions of creative solutions as well as a questioning and reworking of the dominant resettlement model. This paper explores the local context of resettlement against the backdrop of a housing crisis, and pushes forward debates about how resettlement operates and adapts in local communities.