Department of Geography- Spring 2004 (June 4)

Refugees and Human Rights: Housing in Seattle

Transcript (2 minutes)

Introductory Statement

Good morning everyone and thank you so much for joining me today to discuss this important issue. I would like to give you a brief overview of my research this year and I invite you to take a look at my website that I have created to support this later this morning.

First, my research has centered on the housing situation of refugees in Seattle. Housing is one of the most basic needs of a human and is stated as a universal ‘right’ in the UN Declaration of Human Rights which makes it an issue of pressing concern. Many refugees who come to Seattle are put in a position where they are not granted this basic right.

Washington is the fourth largest destination state for refugees coming into the US and King County is the number one destination county in Washington State. The largest refugee groups are coming from Asia, with an increasing number from Africa.

Some of the largest issues that newly arriving refugees face include language barriers, no area knowledge, and lack of a sustained social services network. Housing issues that they encounter include lack of government housing, limited governmental support, and difficulty obtaining living wage jobs and therefore loans. Their primary forms of support will come from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and the government. Multiple policy changes will be needed to change current governmental practices in order to better accommodate this important group of individuals.

Thank you so much for your attention.