Refugees in urgent need of housing in Missoula

For the first time since the agency reopened its doors in 2016, the International Rescue Committee’s Missoula office has requested a pause on new refugee arrivals due to an acute lack of suitable housing for those fleeing war and violence.

Soft Landing Missoula, a nonprofit that works with the local refugee and immigrant community to provide support once they arrive, has joined the IRC in putting out an urgent call for housing.

The two organizations say that they’re looking for community members who have any leads on three-bedroom and four-bedroom housing options for rent for six months or more within Missoula city limits. The IRC can work with private landlords and property management companies.

Kasse Lumona, middle right, and his son Apele, middle left, hold up the walls of their new home in the summer of 2020. The Lumonas, a Congolese family of 6, purchased the home through a Habitat for Humanity program that allows families to assist in the construction of a home, which is then sold to them through a special mortgage program.

BEN ALLAN SMITH, Missoulian

“When refugee families

View Source