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This man launched a website so people can invite refugees to stay in their homes

posted on: Aug 27, 2016

 

Crammed with piles of clothes and other trinkets, Arafa’s studio has more of a bachelor pad feel than that of a hotel. He says it’s important that people in vulnerable housing situations feel like they have a warm home that is welcoming to them, as opposed to a sterile hotel room.

Alysha Tagert, a social services program coordinator for the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, said it’s difficult to find housing, particularly in the D.C. area, for the victims her organization encounters. She works with refugees — mostly from African countries — who are in the process of seeking asylum.

Tagert said that in many cultures, opening your home to a stranger is a normal and familiar occurrence. Since learning about EmergencyBnB, she said her organization is interested in finding clients temporary housing through the site.

“It’s in­cred­ibly difficult to get a bed anywhere in the city,” she said. “Public shelters are sometimes very dangerous environments. We’re talking about sometimes very traumatized people going into dysfunctional environments. It would be a very natural welcome for an individual if they were staying in a home. I think it’s important for enculturation, for feeling like you belong.”

More than 63,000 refugees have entered the United States since Oct. 1, 2015, according to the Pew Research Center. The real challenge, according to Arafa, will be to find people willing to open their homes.

“It completely changes your mood, knowing that you’re capable of giving. It’s a value add,” he said. “I’m not attempting to resolve the refu­gee crisis, but I know that there are refugees here today and you have to make them feel welcome here.”