NEWS BRIEF: Housing shortage affecting refugees from Afghanistan
Refugees can’t find a home
Photo credit: CL File
Newly arrived Afghan refugees are having trouble finding places to live in metro Atlanta, according to resettlement agencies. Families are having to stay in temporary housing such as hotels after spending weeks at US military bases and are thus unable to enroll kids in school or find employment. The small city of Clarkston, just east of Atlanta, has been a haven for refugees for years but is now at maximum capacity. “Almost always, Clarkston has been able to absorb a large volume of refugees. But it can’t anymore… There just aren’t enough units to handle the amount of people coming in,” said John Arnold, a housing manager for The Welcome Co-op. An additional problem is the reluctance of landlords to rent to tenants without jobs or credit history. 285south.bulletin.com