"Shanna, can you help me find a new two-bedroom apartment?" My friend, a former refugee, asked me. "My new landlord is raising my monthly rent from $900 to $1400." For the five years I've known him, he's lived in this same apartment.

Out here on the plains of Colorado, in our small town of 12,000, 10% of the population has experienced forced displacement. I've come to think of our town locationally as "down a side road" at the "end" of the refugee highway.

Just People Determined to Survive

Some traveled the refugee highway through Central America and Mexico seeking asylum. Others moving to this community made their first self-determined decision in decades by moving here after being resettled in other cities where everything from housing and work locations to their children's schools was decided for them.

There are no resettlement agencies here, no immigration attorneys, just people who are determined to survive and make the most of an opportunity for employment with a higher wage. Opportunities exist for good paying jobs at the meatpacking facility and other agriculture production, but housing is not so friendly.

Unstable and Unsafe

For Africans, the housing situation is particularly challenging. Of the Ninety-five percent that secure housing, most live in unstable and sometimes unsafe apartment settings for an average of five to ten years. They have little to no opportunity to move toward homeownership, which helps provide generational stability.

Advocacy and Closed Doors

It is in this need gap that IAFR seeks to be a friend and advocate. Our goal is to help restore physical and social "place" to those who have endured displacement for so long. We have the vision to create safe and secure housing and a supportive community that leads to home ownership.

We are working on securing a location for this initiative. To this point, we have experienced two closed doors. The first was an opportunity to build on property owned by a local pastor. However, it required the support of neighbors to re-zone the land. Sadly, but not surprisingly, that support was not granted.

The second closed door was the opportunity to purchase an existing four-plex – the one mentioned at the beginning of this story. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the purchase before another offer was made and accepted. As a result, the residents who could have started a path to homeownership are trying to figure out how to survive the rent increase on units already in severe disrepair.

We believe God has given us this vision!

While these momentary setbacks significantly impact us, resilience is being formed in us, and we are not giving up. The persistence of our refugee friends as they seek to rebuild their lives in our community is a powerful example to us to continue pursuing what God has laid on our hearts in a desire to welcome our neighbors into long-term flourishing here. We believe that God has given us this vision and that he will bring it about. But we can't do it without people like you who give and pray! If you want to join us in bringing this vision to fruition, visit the project page on IAFR's website to learn more.

CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NORTHERN COLORADO HOUSING INITIATIVE!