St. Louis Afghan Refugee Update By International Institute Leaders References Community Partners Like STL Mosaic Projec
When the first large group of Afghan refugees landed in St. Louis last summer, many found themselves struggling to fit into a new city, dealing with a new language and less-than-ideal living situations.
Now, seven months later, the International Institute of St. Louis has announced that it has settled all of the recent crop of 594 Afghan refugees in permanent housing, with no more individuals living in hotels. It’s a benchmark that the institute’s CEO, Arrey Obenson, sees as a cause for celebration.
“The team has worked incredibly hard,” Obenson said on Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air. “We know, obviously, that it was challenging for them, for all of us, for this community, to have them living in hotels, especially the larger families. But when that last family of 10 got permanent housing, we celebrate it.”