Local rental housing needed to support refugee resettlement

Takoma Park Welcoming Committee for Syrian Families has been actively working since November 2015 to support resettlement of Syrian families in Takoma Park. We are working with resettlement agencies to meet this goal. Our top priority is to identify safe and affordable rental housing options for new families in Takoma Park.

If you are a home owner and interested in supporting this effort by offering your home or part of your home as a rental property, please review the federal requirements listed below to ensure that it meets the required criteria, so housing is safe, sanitary and in good repair:

• There must be an appropriate number of bedrooms.
• All areas and components of the housing (interior and exterior) are free of visible health and safety hazards, and in good repair. (Specifics range from ensuring there is no mold, that emergency escape route(s) have been identified and are accessible, windows and outside doors have working locks, heat, ventilation, lighting and hot and cold running water are adequate. There is no evidence of current rodent or insect infestation.)
• The kitchen should be equipped with a stove, oven and refrigerator in good repair, and bathrooms should be equipped with sink, flush toilet, and shower or bath in good repair.

If your home is not licensed to rent but meets the criteria, please let us know and we will work with you to coordinate that need with the City of Takoma Park. Please also note that the resettlement agency offers financial support to be used for housing as well. If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please contact Takoma Park City Councilmember Terry Seamens (terrys@takomaparkmd. gov) or Shruti Bhatnagar (shruti_bhatnagar@yahoo.com).

This article appeared in the January 2017 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.