(The Center Square) – Iowa ethnic, community or faith-based organizations that support refugees’ economic self-sufficiency and community integration may qualify for a portion of $5 million in federal funding.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced last week a request for proposal for wraparound services to help refugees in Iowa settle and economically succeed in their new communities. Eligible services include community integration, English proficiency, digital literacy, banking and financial planning, health and wellness, the department said in a news release.
Support must align with the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement’s goals to increase racial equity, support underserved communities, collaborate with ethnic communities in service models and deliver programming that fully addresses refugees’ needs.
The most a single bidder can receive for the initial two-year contract term is $325,000, with up to four one-year extensions, the RFP said. The bidder can receive $125,000 at most per state fiscal year for refugee community services projects. The bidder can receive no more than $75,000 for the initial two-year contract term for startup funding. Funding amounts will vary based on need and predicted program enrollment, the department said.
Entities with 25 or fewer employees may qualify for startup funding. These bidders will help full-time employees gain leadership, fundraising, grant writing and reporting skills.They will develop partnerships that help deliver services to refugees, hold one fundraising event per year and submit two grant applications per year. They will deliver community presentations and participate in community events quarterly.
After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the department in January 2022 began restructuring its Bureau of Refugee Services to better help refugees and community partners, the department said. Community partners and resettlement agencies have provided most of the initial support, and they’ve faced challenges because of the pace and volume of the arrival of Afghan refugees.
Iowa’s other efforts to support refugees include Iowa Workforce Development’s work with resettlement agencies’ clients and enrollees in Iowa’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, employment and training program, which is called PROMISE JOBS.
Iowa contracted with the University of Iowa College of Law, in partnership with Drake University Law School and Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, to support Afghan refugees’ paperwork and applications needs through legal clinics so they can more easily find jobs. It partnered with T-Mobile to give refugees hotspots for internet access to help them apply for services, find and identify resources, pay bills, learn English and complete schoolwork. The state has distributed more than $3 million in rental assistance to refugees.
“While there were challenges with the speed and volume of the arrival of Afghan refugees, the work we’re doing to ensure Iowa continues its long-standing track record of being a welcoming and supportive state for refugees is exciting,” Iowa Chief of Strategic Operations Matt Highland said in the release. “There is still a lot of work to do, but all of these efforts are laying a solid foundation to support refugees who’ve recently arrived in Iowa, and those to come in the future.”
