Improving integration of Ukrainian refugees in the US through equitable housing services

The Russian-Ukrainian war displaced over 7.5 million people, dramatically increasing the global total of refugees in just a few months. By 2050 we expect the global total of refugees to rise to over 1 billion. In response the US government has taken reactive efforts to accept refugees from crisis situations, including offering to accept 100 thousand refugees from Ukraine. Following initial displacement, integration into new communities becomes critical for political stability and mental, physical, and social health. However, adequate resources are rarely provided to facilitate this effort. Poignantly, adequate resources are not provided largely because the unique needs of refugees are overlooked. The inclusion of refugee voices in the planning process is critical to finding effective solutions and requires participatory data collection methodologies. To address this goal, our team will create tools that can facilitate the incorporation of refugee voices using photovoice, digital placemaking, and storytelling techniques. These co-produced tools will provide information on built environment attributes that can be improved to ensure successful integration into US communities. Our research team is collaborating with diverse federal, state, and local organizations, including U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Catholic Charities and Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa, to build these tools in a community-based participatory manner.