Afghan refugees find themselves thrust into middle of American housing crisis

FOLLOWING THE TALIBAN’S takeover of Afghanistan in August, thousands of Afghan people raced to the Karzai International Airport hoping to secure a spot on an airlift out of the country. The United States, along with allies and several private groups, evacuated more than 120,000 people from the airport by Aug. 30, 2021, the official date by which the U.S. was to leave Afghanistan.

Since then, more 74,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S., according to the U.S. State Department, and more are expected. But many refugees are finding it difficult to secure adequate housing in the face of expensive housing costs and a shortage of affordable units, which raises the questions: once a refugee steps off a plane, how does resettlement work? What cities do they go to? Who makes that decision? Where can refugees get help once they arrive in their new communities, and how does it all overlap with existing community development work?