County staff, resettlement agencies request $2M‑plus to fill refugee housing and transportation gap

Alameda County staff and local resettlement agencies told the Social Services Committee that federal reception and placement funds cover only limited, short‑term needs and leave a local gap in housing and transportation for newcomers resettling in the Bay Area. "Refugee supportive services help refugees adjust and become self‑sufficient," the county presenter said in an overview of contracted services; staff then summarized resettlement agency data and identified housing, transportation and employment services as the largest unmet needs.

Staff reported resettlement agency figures showing about 1,508 unduplicated arrivals to the region between Oct. 1, 2023 and Aug. 30, 2024, with several hundred of those resettling to Alameda County. County contracts for social integration, employment and trafficking‑victim services were procured by RFP in 2020 and account for more than $16 million in direct client services overall, staff said.

Resettlement agencies in the room reiterated earlier community requests for county support. Robin Mentcher, CEO of Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, said her organization’s February assessment estimated a $2,301,404 ask to cover housing, employment, transportation and a small case management supplement associated with Afghan and Ukrainian resettlement since 2022. Brad Adams of the International Rescue Committee urged the county to consider additional local and state funding because federal per‑person allocations are insufficient for Bay Area housing costs.

County staff told supervisors the gap relates largely to newcomers who have not yet applied for county public assistance and therefore cannot access federally allowable federal/state refugee support funds; staff recommended considering a recurring county general‑fund contract to bridge housing and transportation needs for those not yet enrolled. "It may even be a little smaller than that in terms of the individuals that are not yet on public assistance benefits," the county presenter said, urging early submission of benefit applications to bring newcomers into eligible housing programs.

Supervisors asked staff to discuss options with the county administrator and return to the committee in October with a reassessment of the dollar amount and potential funding pathways, including one‑time ARPA or other budget sources. Staff noted neighboring counties have provided limited supplemental rounds of funding in prior years but that the underlying federal allocation formula does not reflect Bay Area housing costs.