Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Syrian refugees in Coho

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Dec 20, 2015, at 10:21 AM, juva <juva [at] comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> We are join starting the idea of housing a Syrian refugee family.  Are there 
> any other cohousing communities working on this?  If so I would like to 
> connect. 

When I suggested doing this after the New Orleans flood, it was resoundingly 
rejected by the community for several reasons. I had suggested using the guest 
rooms. We have two that are connected by a hallway and bathroom. They would be 
in a space to themselves. But the guest rooms were already booked off and on 
for weeks.

The major concern is that we would have no knowledge of the family we took in 
or any idea about their financial circumstances. Or how long they would need to 
stay. And before we considered how to do this screening through the Red Cross, 
other families that had found housing in New Orleans and were returning. It 
also became clear that people preferred to stay in New Orleans.

The Syrian refugees are in a different situation in terms of returning home and 
would probably be resettled quickly by social agencies, or if you have them, 
Syrians in the area. (In DC we have everyone.)

For the time they are in residence specific people would have to take 
responsibility for them. It would be like having a guest family for weeks or 
even months. We find that in order for something to get done on a dependable 
basis it has to have a name on it.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org