Phone: 619-432-5145
Phone: 619-432-5145
SAN DIEGO – County Approves Refugee Housing Unit
February 01, 2019
This past Tuesday, January 29, 2019, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors signed off on a plan to provide temporarily housing to asylum-seekers. On a 4 -1 vote, the board approved a lease agreement with the Jewish Family Service of San Diego for the old family law courthouse property located at 1501 and 1555 Sixth Ave, just north of downtown.
Per the terms of their agreement Jewish Family Services will pay the County of San Diego a one-time payment of $1.00 for the lease of the properties, and be responsible for all costs associated with opening, operating and maintaining the housing unit.
San Diego is the largest border city in the United States. As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements release migrant families from custody and into our city motions such as this newly passed housing unit provides for a cost-effective and workable solution to address a humanitarian crisis facing our community.
San Diego County offers numerous resources for newly arriving refugees, a list of such services can be found at the Office of Refugee Coordination website:
| Service | Description | Link(s) to More Information |
| Reception and Placement Services | Initial services up to 90 days upon arrival to assist refugees in establishing themselves in their new home.
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These services are offered by the local resettlement agencies (below):
Alliance for African Assistance Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego |
| Refugee Health Assessment Program (RHAP) | RHAP provides newly arrived refugees and other populations with culturally and linguistically appropriate comprehensive health assessments within the first 3 months of arrival. | County of San Diego’s Tuberculosis and Refugee Health Branch |
| Self Sufficiency Programs | Social welfare services available to citizens in need, include but are not limited to: cash, food assistance, employment services and medical needs. | County of San Diego’s Self-Sufficiency Programs |
| County Refugee Employment Services (RES) | Employment based services for refugee families with children that are in the U.S. up to 60 months. Services are designed to support obtaining and retaining unsubsidized jobs with the goal of exiting cash assistance. |
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| Wilson Fish (WF) | Refugee Cash Assistance and Employment Services for newly arrived refugees without children. Goals are similar to County RES services but administered through local resettlement agencies through funding direct from ORR. | Office of Refugee Resettlement |
| State-Funded Immigration Services | Legal services, outreach, community education, and other immigrant integration efforts funded through the State of California’s Department of Social Services (CDSS) to local community providers. | CDSS Immigration Services Contractors |
| Refugee School Impact Program | Effective integration and education of refugee children through school-based programming in refugee-impacted communities. | Office of Refugee Resettlement |
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