Housing

We ask hosts to commit to housing a client for a 6-month period. Sometimes less time is required, sometimes more. It depends on the client's individual situation, which you will learn about before you decide. Of course, you always have the right to withdraw early.

In some cases, our client will receive work authorization, find employment, and become self-supporting. They may find their own housing at that point, or we will help them find affordable housing. In other cases, they will continue to need housing from us, and we will find them another home. Of course, you may choose to continue offering housing beyond 6 months, but there is no expectation that you do so.

In general, clients can range from single adults to mother/child pairs to large families. They often come from Africa, Central America, or the Middle East. All of them have been through difficulties and all are seeking a new life in the US. All have been medically cleared, have an immigration lawyer, and have a legitimate asylum case.

There is no one answer to this. It depends on what will make both you and the client feel comfortable. A separate “in-law” apartment would be great, but is not necessary. The client(s) should have their own bedroom(s) and preferably their own bathroom.

Assuming you do not have a separate kitchen for the client, you will need to share your kitchen. However, this can take different forms, ranging from keeping the client’s food completely separate to cooking / eating meals together. You will set the rules on kitchen use (e.g., “only kosher food in this kitchen”; “please don’t use the fine china”; “I need to have the kitchen to myself this Thursday from 6 to 8”), but make sure that the client can meet their needs as well.

Yes! Our expectation is that you provide housing in a friendly, welcoming environment, but nothing more than that, although we welcome your greater involvement with the client’s life if you so choose. NBARC will provide a point person who is responsible for your client, along with volunteers to provide acculturation, babysitting, transportation, etc. The cluster will also cover the cost of food for the client.

Hosting an asylum seeker can be an extremely rewarding experience. You will learn about another culture and form a bond with a brave, interesting person. And, you will be doing a really important good deed!

We recognize that conflicts of various kinds can arise in these types of living situations. At any point, you can request support from us to help clarify rules, address conflicts, etc. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with continuing the arrangement, we will remove the client.

Generally speaking, the client should not be expected to do any work for you in exchange for housing. On the other hand, the client is expected to take on the normal responsibilities of living in a household (e.g., washing the dishes, keeping their own space clean).

Yes! In fact, you have to.

Please contact Elkan Gamzu and let him know of your interest. He will visit you to take a look at your space and discuss the situation, including what type of asylum seekers are appropriate for you to host. If you choose to move forward, we will ask for a personal reference and ask you to provide a background check form (CORI). When we take on a client appropriate for your home, you may choose to meet him or her in a neutral space, along with members of NBARC and the "point person" for this client. The next step is to invite the client and his or her "point person" to visit you in your home to meet you, see the space, and discuss house rules. If you still want to move forward, you and the client will sign an agreement and the client will move in!