Refugee Housing: Exploring Integration Challenges and Solutions

This research report investigates the current conditions and challenges related to refugee housing. It highlights the vulnerabilities faced by refugees, including trauma, lack of employment, education barriers, language difficulties, and the importance of proper settlement. The study emphasizes the scarcity of research addressing these issues directly, aiming to fill the gap by analyzing the severe conditions new migrants encounter. It explores the crucial role of housing in successful integration, advocating for comprehensive support from governments and charitable organizations to create welcoming environments. The report reviews existing literature, examining the impact of housing on health, the need for safe and supportive living spaces, and the challenges of discrimination and limited resources. It underscores the importance of addressing mental health issues, the needs of children, and the need for equitable access to services. The conclusion emphasizes the need for more research, recognizing the significance of housing as a key factor in refugee well-being and integration.

Running head: REFUGEE HOUSING
REFUGEE HOUSING
Name of the Student
Name of the Organization
Author Note

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Abstract
The primary purpose of the study is to show the recent conditions related to the housing
of the refugees. Many issues are raised during the process of integrating them. Most of the
refugees go through a number of traumatic experiences and anxiety due to the lack of several
factors like proper employment, education of the young generation, proper settlement, barriers of
language and many others. A little number of researches are present which can focus on
delivering the issues clearly which are related to refugee housing. The study has tried to fill up
the gaps to a great extent, showing all the severe conditions which the new migrants within the
country have to go through. Several measures are needed to be undertaken by the Government as
well some organisations of charity for dealing with the problem and try to welcome refugees in
the new environment by providing with all the facilities required by the migrants. The gap which
was present earlier are therefore needed to be appropriately analysed for giving help to the
refugees.

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Introduction
Refugees mostly represent some of the most vulnerable groups within the world who are
seen to be facing a range of a large number of risk factors for adverse health as well as
wellbeing, involving experiences from violence, trauma, tension, trouble and mainly dislocation.
It is also associated with a massive loss of members of family and support from the community
(Alnsour & Meaton, 2014). When resettlement is done in full new countries, there are a number
of factors which are very much essential for successful results of health like searching for
employment, engagement of education and developing social connections (Fozdar & Hartley,
2013). Within all these factors, housing is considered as the most important one. In the case of
these refugees, access to proper housing is marked as an integration which is successful and also
form a way with the help of which newly arrived people can be able to build a new life in the
host countries. Searching and holding on for providing appropriate housing to the refugees must
be considered as an indicator which will be critical for successful integration of refugees.
However, it has been noticed that there is a very little study which clearly describes how
the recent conditions of the housing of refugees can be improved and how a place can be created
which can provide a home to all the refugees and stay away from all the temporary harsh
placements (Benček & Strasheim, 2016). The primary purpose of the paper is to clearly describe
the main problems which are faced by the refugees while during their process of integration.
Housing is an essential factor for good health and well-being. Hence, it is very much crucial for
providing the refugees with proper housing, education, financial support and employment.

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Methodology
A methodology which a sense-making is used as a structure for examining the experience
of the refugees by mainly focusing on all the situations faced by them during housing. Though
less number of sources are present, which points out the current conditions of the refugee
housing, it has been noticed that there are few articles which describe the different kinds of
troubles faced by the refugees. Such items have provided some knowledge about the severe
conditions of the refugees, and it has been come to be known that there is a massive need for
several factors for integrating them into the country properly. Out of several factors like
employment, housing, health, mobility and state benefits, housing is considered as the critical
factor for successful resettlement of the refugees. Several ideas can be drawn into mind for
solving the problem related to refugee housing. A methodology which a sense-making is used as
a structure for examining the experience of the refugees by mainly focusing on all the situations
faced by them during housing.
Literature Review
The housing can directly influence health to a great extent (Francis & Hiebert, 2014).
They are seen to have been facing a lot of harsh placements which are temporary. It has been
noticed that newly arrived refugees mostly propose a number of intermediary requirements in
between housing and health. Such include elements involves identity, safety, practices of living
and social support (Schmidt, 2013). Several other problems are identified as described in some
researches like the high cost of housing, discrimination and less availability can be solved.
It has been observed that decent jobs are not present or available in that particular region
for the refugees which is very much crucial for starting to lead a proper life. Each and every

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refugee are not at all treated in separate ways depending upon their respective backgrounds
(Akgündüz, Van den Berg & Hassink, 2015). All the minors are not accompanied by the arriving
past the compulsory schooling age. Unequal access to service integration is seen to have been
promoted to the migrants throughout the country. Poor health due to improper housing has
affected a lot in the ability of the migrant in getting proper jobs, learning local languages and
also in interacting with the institutions which are public (Al-Hawarin, Assaad & Elsayed, 2018).
Therefore, it has come to be known that a number of challenges are being faced by several
refugees which include lack of affordable housing, searching for employment, barriers of
communication, racism, attitudes of community, disrupted education of the children, financial
problems, separation from the family members and mental health problems due to anxiety and
trauma. Even there is a considerable effect upon the children as well.
Young people are also facing a lot of difficulties due to their age as well as experiences.
They have to carry several scars of war as well as displacement along with them. Even some of
the children are noticed to flee alone and arrive as minors which are not accompanied. Some of
the several experiences of the young children involve psychological effects of trauma,
difficulties of language due to limited education, identification issues and changing
responsibilities of family. The government must take the responsibility for providing support to
give settlement to all the people belonging to the background of the refugee in several areas in
which they are seen to be facing a number of problems like housing, education and health. It is
very much essential for acknowledging all the experiences which are heterogeneously involved
with the term “refugee”. There is one study which describes how all the refugees who are living
in Switzerland are facing with a high rate of stress disorder which is mostly post-traumatic
(Borevi & Bengtsson, 2015). Such refugees do not have any family members to live with.

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Another research has also suggested that poor conditions of housing are found which leads to
high mobility rates and this turn increases the negative outcomes of mental health (Phillimore,
2017). Unstable housing, is linked with to the global functioning which is severely impaired and
on the other hand, overcowded condition is seen to be connected with adverse outcomes of
health. Such a housing which is very much insecure can produce adverse consequences of health
especially on women (Hoffman & Robertson, 2016). Women are seen to have been suffering
from a lot of security concerns. Few studies have shown that all the refugees identify housing as
a determinant of health which is social.
Results
From the above literature review, it has been observed that there is a little study which
has been done regarding the several kinds of problems and challenges which have been faced by
the newly entered refugees. The links between several difficulties of housing and health of the
refugees are also described. The extent to which all the migrants felt that housing had a great
impact on their health directly as well as their wellbeing is examined. The literature review
which has been presented has tried to cover some of the gaps which are seen to be related to the
issues and the challenges which are perceived to be faced by the refugees to a great extent. This
literature review has provided a general discussion about the crisis of the refugees worldwide.
Discussion
The gap has revealed that all the refugees are suffering from a massive crisis worldwide
concerning several factors like education, employment, safety, housing, health and so on. This
has been increased to a great extent. Several measures are needed to be taken for ensuring
appropriate integration of the refugees. There is a need for putting more focus on designing a

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space which enables the refugees in feeling welcomed and must help in providing proper
settlement in a full new environment. Such an arrangement will help the refugees in leading a
decent life (Plener et al.,2017). One of the essential things which are needed to be thought is that
every refugee must be treated in a separate way depending upon their respective backgrounds.
Equal access to service integration must be promoted to migrants throughout the country. It is
very much crucial for the host countries to assess the mental health of the newly arrived
refugees. The government itself cannot look for supporting these refugees in providing proper
housing and integration (Delacrétaz, Kominers & Teytelboym, 2016). All the charities,
organisations which are based on the community and several associations which are immigrant
have an equal role in playing this role. For an example, it can be said that by the implementation
of the government policies, developing programmes of mentorship, appraising the skills of the
refugees and by welcoming them to the community can be a significant step.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that a gap is seen to be present in most of the researches which are
not capable of describing the traumatic situations which most of the refugees go through. They
are not welcomed and not provided with a proper settlement, and this has affected their mental
health to a great extent. There are a number of intermediary problems faced by them which
include issues related to employment, security, education, health and so on. There is a little
amount of information present showing all the problems or the challenges associated with the
integration of the refugees. It is very much essential to recognise this gap and know more about
these problems and provide huge concern related to the problem. It is essential for ensuring the
refugees with a proper housing as housing is considered to be one the most important factors
which are needed to be concerned as it has a direct link to the health of the refugees.

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References
Akgündüz, Y., Van den Berg, M., & Hassink, W. H. (2015). The impact of refugee crises on host
labour markets: the case of the Syrian refugee crisis in Turkey.
Al-Hawarin, I., Assaad, R., & Elsayed, A. (2018, June). Migration Shocks and Housing:
Evidence from the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan. In Economic Research Forum
Working Paper Series (Forthcoming). Cairo, Egypt.
Alnsour, J., & Meaton, J. (2014). Housing conditions in Palestinian refugee camps,
Jordan. Cities, 36, 65-73.
Benček, D., & Strasheim, J. (2016). Refugees welcome? A dataset on anti-refugee violence in
Germany. Research & Politics, 3(4), 2053168016679590.
Borevi, K., & Bengtsson, B. (2015). The tension between choice and need in the housing of
newcomers: A theoretical framework and an application on Scandinavian settlement
policies. Urban studies, 52(14), 2599-2615.
Delacrétaz, D., Kominers, S. D., & Teytelboym, A. (2016). Refugee resettlement. University of
Oxford Department of Economics Working Paper.
Fozdar, F., & Hartley, L. (2013). Refugee resettlement in Australia: What we know and need to
know. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 32(3), 23-51.
Francis, J., & Hiebert, D. (2014). S haky foundations: Refugees in Vancouver's housing
market. The Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe canadien, 58(1), 63-78.
Hoffman, S. J., & Robertson, C. L. (2016). A systematic review of Karen refugee
health. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 12(1), 1-15.

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Phillimore, J. (2017). Embedded integration and organisational change in housing providers in
the UK. Social Policy and Society, 16(1), 1-14.
Plener, P. L., Groschwitz, R. C., Brähler, E., Sukale, T., & Fegert, J. M. (2017). Unaccompanied
refugee minors in Germany: attitudes of the general population towards a vulnerable
group. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 26(6), 733-742.
Schmidt, C. W. (2013). Unsafe harbor? Elevated blood lead levels in refugee children.