‘Peak numbers of refugees’: Metro Detroit agencies prepare to help resettle families

Agencies that help refugees start new lives in Michigan, often after fleeing war and turmoil in their home countries, are expecting a surge in arrivals starting later this year.

The increase in arrivals comes at a time when Michigan is experiencing an acute shortage in housing, making affordable homes more difficult to find. It’s also taking place when there are fewer agencies resettling refugees. The nonprofit Samaritas is strained as it prepares to welcome more people and wants to hire more staff to meet the increased need. 

“The world is very unpredictable right now, and that definitely impacts the refugee population,” said Kelli Dobner, Samaritas’ chief growth officer. “… we’re seeing some of the highest numbers of refugees in the world that we’ve ever seen.”

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Agency leaders expect an uptick because the federal government has been admitting more refugees, especially as people escape instability in their home countries. Samaritas alone estimates it will work with more than 2,000 refugees from October through next September — a roughly 14% increase from the 1,750 the organization projects to help as the current fiscal year closes out. Arrivals are expected from countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan, Burma, Guatemala and Iran, she said. This summer, Samaritas is seeing an average of 14 Ukrainians fleeing the war per week in metro Detroit.

“We are at peak numbers of refugees that we are welcoming into our care,” Dobner said.

Tawfik Alazem, director of the Dearborn office for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, said his organization expects to resettle at least 625 refugees by the end of September. That’s a 98% increase — up from 315 refugees the nonprofit helped from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023. Next fiscal year, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants estimates to resettle 700 refugees, including 100 special immigrant visas, a program for Afghan and Iraqi nationals for their service to the U.S. government.

This is on par with pre-2018 levels, Alazem said, when the organization served 600 to 800 clients, on average, each year. In 2018, that dropped to 68 refugees.

“A lot of refugees … were, for the last many years, hoping to come and arrive and get approved. And recently, we see larger numbers of refugees being approved to travel and to come to the United States,” Alazem said, citing President Joe Biden’s target of admitting 125,000 in fiscal year 2024.

Michigan is approved to receive more than 4,400 refugees and special immigrant visa holders by the end of September, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). As of July, 2,915 people have arrived, from 39 countries, including Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan. The Office of Global Michigan, which is a part of LEO, is expecting a similar number of arrivals next fiscal year, which begins in October, although exact estimates are not yet available.

There are fewer providers dedicated to providing resettlement services in metro Detroit. Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan is suspending its refugee resettlement program this month because of a lack of funding, according to the nonprofit.

“This decision was made after carefully considering our mission and resources, ensuring we continue to serve the community effectively in other areas where the need is great,” said Paul Propson, CEO of Catholic Charities, in a statement.

Since 2022, when the war in Ukraine broke out and after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over, Samaritas, alongside other agencies in Michigan, welcomed thousands of people into its care.

“The pressure has not released,” Dobner said.

Michigan is short 140,000 homes

Samaritas said it needs at least 700 homes for the more than 2,000 refugees it is expecting.

In the fall of 2021, after the U.S. left Afghanistan and fleeing families began arriving in Michigan, agencies in the state had to quickly resettle people. Because of the fast pace of arrivals and shortage of available units, one of the biggest challenges organizations faced was finding adequate permanent housing and so families stayed in hotels, some in cramped quarters.

Though households have since moved from the hotels, the dearth of affordable housing remains a persistent issue, Dobner said. Refugee families encounter unique challenges when they seek housing: they don’t have the same paperwork as other tenants and they may not have a paystubs or a credit history.

“We’ve had a wonderful network of landlords, but it’s not enough to accommodate the need,” Dobner said.

Finding available and affordable housing remains a challenge for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants as well, Alazem said. He has found that, over the past five years, rents have shot up to at least $1,200 for a one or two-bedroom home in metro Detroit, up from $600 to $800.

Michigan is short 140,000 homes, according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

“We definitely recognize that there’s a housing crisis in Michigan, and we’re working to build more affordable housing at all price points for people throughout Michigan. Because we know from our most vulnerable citizens, who need permanent supportive housing, and people experiencing homelessness, up to middle income families — it’s tough to find an affordable home out there,” said Kelly Rose, MSHDA chief operating officer.

Last fall, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Global Michigan, launched a statewide program offering temporary rent aid for eligible refugees and asylees in Michigan. It provides rent aid from $300 to $600 a month, based on immigration status and household size, to applicants for up to 12 months.

So far, the program has received 853 applications, with 180 currently pending, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Roughly 200 applications were denied and 468 have been approved. Among the reasons people were denied: their incomes were higher than eligibility requirements, they weren’t Michigan residents or they failed to return required documents. The program is funded with $4 million from MSHDA and $5 million from the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. Roughly $6.5 million remains.

Meanwhile, Samaritas wants to hire 14 additional staff members as it prepares to assist hundreds more refugees. The organization currently does not have enough funding to expand and decrease the number of cases workers have, but is accepting donations. The nonprofit jobs are demanding.

“People arrive at all hours of the day,” Dobner said, and so, staff may find themselves working around the clock at times.

In 2016, Michigan was the fourth-largest state for refugee resettlement, according to a 2017 study from the economic development organization Global Detroit. Most refugees lived outside Detroit in communities such as Warren, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Troy, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, the report notes.

Samaritas welcomes donations, including furniture and household items in good condition, to help families as they get back on their feet and then get on the “road to self sufficiency,” Dobner said, meaning they have a job, housing and transportation.

“We want to make sure that they have what they need to be thriving members of our community,” she said.

She fled war. Now, she’s helping others do the same.

Mariana Velhan is a case manager with Samaritas and her job is important now more than ever.

But two years ago, she faced the same struggles as the refugees she helps. In 2022, Velhan came to Grosse Pointe to live with her aunt after leaving Ukraine with her two sons.

She wanted to get a job, but was unable to at first because she had to wait seven months before she was authorized to work. It was a nerve-wracking time as Velhan questioned whether she should stay in America or go back to a country at war. Reading the news, she worried about the friends and family she’d left behind. But she couldn’t return.

“All the time you want to cry,” Velhan, 39, said at Samaritas’ Warren office.

After her aunt moved out, she struggled to afford the rent. To make ends meet, she worked two jobs, as a caregiver and dishwasher, with no days off. Then, about a year later, she was down to one job and didn’t have a car. That’s when she turned to Samaritas, which had previously helped her with health insurance, and getting a mattress and laptops for her children. Samaritas covered a couple months of rent for Velhan and her family while she looked for another job.

This year, Velhan got her driver’s license, bought a car and applied for a job with Samaritas. The agency also chipped in to help her buy her Toyota Prius, she said.

In her role now, Velhan helps Ukrainians fleeing the war navigate the same systems she once did. She helps with transportation, translation and obtaining work authorization. Velhan stressed the importance of finding the right help at the right moment.

“I really understand them, because Samaritas helped me a lot,” she said. “This is like a debt. I’ve got something from someone, and I need to give it back.”

To donate to Samaritas or volunteer, go to www.samaritas.org/.