Good, affordable housing is a critical first step to successful refugee reception, settlement, and integration. In today’s urban migration context, that means cities are under increasing pressure to provide affordable and dignified housing options. Getting housing right promotes urban resilience and liveability in good times –and in times of shock or crisis.
On the 30th of June at 16 CET a 60-minute webinar, "City solutions for refugee housing", organised by Cities of Migration will explore local innovations in refugee housing from Münster, Germany, and Cleveland, USA. Cities of Migration showcases good ideas in immigrant integration and promotes innovative practices that create inclusion and urban prosperity.
In the city of Cleveland, welcoming refugees may also provide a solution to the problem of vacant homes in a sagging rust-belt economy. Danielle Drake, Community Relations Manager of US Together will join the conversation to discuss how Cleveland is re-thinking its social housing model for refugees as part of a larger strategy to re-vitalize local neighbourhoods and improve living conditions for all residents.
Fifteen years ago, the city of Münster rejected the temporary, camp-like refugee housing models of the period and embraced a humanitarian approach that improves living standards while helping normalize the settlement experience for everyone, turning strangers into neighbours. Today, that foresight is helping cities like Münster accommodate an unprecedented wave of Syrian refugees to Germany. Jochen Köhnke, City Councillor for Migration and Intercultural Affairs, Stadt Münster, will join the conversation to share challenges and successes from Münster’s refugee housing experience.
Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images
