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Transcript/ScriptAfghan Refugees: US House Crisis
HEADLINE: New Afghan Refugees in California Face Difficult Rental Market
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 2/14/2022 1030a
BYLINE: Breshna Tahrik
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: San Diego, California
VIDEOGRAPHER: Breshna Tahrik
PRODUCER: Breshna Tahrik
SCRIPT WRITER: Breshna Tahrik
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE(1st);
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original | VOA Afghan Service
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:03
VID APPROVED BY: sv
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES:
ENGLISH WEB EDITORS: Please HOLD these for publication online until Monday, February 14 when they are scheduled to be published on a standalone webpage ))
((Video Link: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/0b9fe88fc787220984e641e8fe1fa36d20220201145114/fbaae02eca3679e0ec174555ade25a9420220201145114/d7bb50 ))
((INTRO))
[[One of the challenges that new Afghan refugees in California face is a tough rental market. Many are staying in temporary housing for weeks at a time. For VOA, Breshna Tahrik has more from San Diego, California.]]
((NARRATOR))
When new Afghan refugees arrive in California, resettlement agencies lodge them in hotels, motels, or Airbnb rentals until more permanent accommodations can be found.
To rent a home in the United States, you must have a job, a strong credit score, and a good rental history. However, newly arriving Afghan refugees often don’t meet the requirements and often must spend more time in temporary housing.
"Helping El Cajon Refugees" is a Facebook volunteer group that provides the Afghan refugees with basic essentials and helps them find housing.
((Jill Galante, Helping El Cajon Refugees ((Female, English))
((Video 00:47 - 01:01))
“Not only do we have a housing crisis, but we have a flood of incoming families, and literally no place to put them. We have families that have been spending 8 weeks in a tiny-little Super 8 Hotel.”
((NARRATOR))
The families of Javid and Jamshid are among those who migrated from Afghanistan recently and spent weeks living in motels.
They were able to rent a two-bedroom apartment together for the first time, with the help of a San Diego relative who co-signed the contract.
((Jamshid, Afghan Refugee)) ((Male, Dari))
((Video 01:25 – 01:34)
“Our relatives helped us to find this house, and the rent is relatively high.”
((NARRATOR))
Since August 2021, around 4,000 new Afghan refugees have been relocated to California. Some say the resettlement process has been frustrating.
((Javid, Afghan Refugee)) ((Male, Pashto))
((Video 1:51 – 2:10))
“The caseworkers who were assigned to us wouldn't answer our calls. We would leave them messages, but they would not respond. We were left to spend 50 more days. They would not respond.”
((NARRATOR))
By the end of the year, California will have received roughly 1,250 additional Afghan refugees from military camps where they are temporarily housed.
Meanwhile, the cost of renting in California is continuing to rise.
Breshna Tahrik, VOA News, Washington
NewsML Media TopicsLifestyle and Leisure, Labour, Economy, Business and Finance, Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateFebruary 14, 2022 19:52 EST
BylineBreshna Tahrik
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
