The Idea

The accommodation of refugees in camps is a harmful practice that cultivates exclusion and stigmatisation in host societies, and conditions in these mass accommodations are often substandard and inhumane. Our mission as an organisation is to foster a global culture that opens its doors to displaced persons by providing access to private housing alternatives with local hosts. By living with locals, refugees have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language, build out social networks in the host country, and establish relationships with local communities. We believe that all people deserve the right to a welcoming, stable housing environment free from prejudice and stigma, and our Refugees Welcome chapters are working to make this a reality for refugees and asylum seekers around the world.

Our housing match model is highly successful in the countries in which we operate: our team in Spain reports that roughly 88% of those who found housing through their services in 2021 feel that their language skills have improved as a direct result of living with locals, and 94% say that living with locals has helped them adapt to their new country. With over 2,500 refugees housed in total since our foundation in 2014, results are similarly successful in all countries in which we operate.

To get more information about how we work read our report “How private accommodation for refugees works sustainably” written by Smaranda Krings and Carla Szyszkowitz in the framework of an AMIF-funded project.

Statistics

We have been facilitating private housing for refugees with local hosts as an alternative to camps since 2014. Today we celebrate:

2500+ refugees housed

450+ volunteers

12 hosting countries