Consultant-Housing Evaluation

The International Rescue Committee’s Resettlement, Asylum and Integration Department is responsible for providing early resettlement services to newly arrived refugees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.  According to guidance from the Department of State, Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), all refugees and SIV holders must receive permanent housing upon their arrival in the US. Their family size can range from three to 12. In addition, this housing must meet national, state and /or local guidance for occupancy as well as safety and state of repair. IRC offices in 23 US cities operate PRM’s Reception and Placement Program. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, affordable rentals were in increasingly in short supply. As the IRC prepares to receive more arrivals in FY 2021 – 22, the organization must conduct a careful assessment of the current housing market in the cities where IRC works.

Scope of work:

The consultant will review internal documentation about the cost of housing pre-pandemic in order to understand the precise rental market that refugees access and develop a rating scale.

The consultant will apply his/her expertise to current rental market in the US and draw upon market research and other publicly available information to discern both the change in cost of housing and change in availability of housing for refugees.

The consultant will develop a short survey for local US offices in order to understand the current state of refugee housing in their catchment area.

The consultant will produce a report and deliver a presentation with analysis of the housing situation and recommendations for program continuity and expansion.

Deliverables:

• A brief one-to-two-page narrative based on desk research with chart summarizing refugee housing costs pre-pandemic including,
  • diversity of housing options by IRC US resettlement site (number of units and housing complexes)
  • cost of rental units by size
• A mapping by IRC city including:
  • current housing costs by size
  • estimated percentage of anticipated income required for housing
  • summary of rental terms offered by location
  • whether the IRC office procures housing in a centralized or decentralized manner
• A report with analysis of the current housing situation including a feasibility assessment by site based on estimated future arrivals, number of needed housing units vs. number of available housing units as well as wage needed to cover housing costs. The report will also respond to the following questions:
  • Who are key partners locally and nationally the IRC offices needs to work with to secure affordable housing in the long term?
  • Which locations might see the development of affordable housing in the near future?
  • What resources are needed both locally and nationally for the IRC to expand its inventory of affordable units for refugees
• Present findings to transition working group.