Switchboard Blog
Switchboard’s blog posts offer a wide range of insights on the newcomer experience, including practical tips for navigating the resettlement process, resource lists tailored to community needs, case studies about relevant programs, engaging stories of successful integration, and more.
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Switchboard’s Annual Survey of Refugee Service Providers (ASRSP): Early Insights and Next Steps
The U.S. refugee resettlement system is evolving rapidly. Shifting policies and new technologies are reshaping how services are delivered, often in ways that directly impact both refugees and the service providers who support them. Yet despite their central role, the voices of service providers are rarely captured systematically. Without their perspective, policymakers and program leaders…
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For newcomers adjusting to life in a foreign country, financial insecurity often emerges as one of the most pressing and difficult challenges to overcome. To support successful integration of newcomers and empower them to build financial stability, service providers must equip clients with the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the financial system here in…
- Lauren Bowden
Newcomers from Afghanistan face many resettlement challenges in the United States. The process of obtaining legal status is an especially difficult hurdle to navigate. Afghans who entered the country under humanitarian parole may only have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States for two years. After TPS expires, they would lose access to employment,…
- Switchboard
For newcomers to equitably receive the vital integration services they are eligible for, language access is essential. As service providers know, working with a professional in-person or telephonic interpreter from the same cultural and linguistic background as the client is always ideal. But live interpretation is not always possible given the demands of newcomer services.…
- Rob Callus
With a current rental vacancy rate of just six percent, housing in the United States is difficult to secure. Several factors—credit requirements, income level, transportation needs, and family size, to name a few—further complicate the housing search for newcomers. Finding housing that fits a client’s needs, eligibility, and the housing standards set by the Bureau…
- Sophia Martin
As people gather with loved ones or community members, it is important to note that there is a current surge of three highly contagious respiratory viruses—COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza (flu). These viruses can cause similar symptoms and require specific testing to diagnose. This “tripledemic” is leading to a greater number of people…
- NRC-RIM
Do you support refugees and newcomers with affordable housing services? This blog post is for you! Switchboard has partnered with Refugee Housing Solutions to share training and promising practices related to housing solutions for newcomers. The tips in this post will get you started in forming positive landlord relationships to help secure housing for clients.…
- Yasmine Noubani