The (Re)Construction of the U.S. Department of State’s Reception and Placement Program by Refugee Resettlement Agencies

The federal government provides for an array of benefits and services for the multitude of refugees who arrive in the United States each year. Generally, the government contracts implementation of these services to local nonprofit refugee resettlement organizations. This article examines the role of these organizations in implementing the Department of State’s Reception and Placement program. Specifically, this study focuses on the how caseworkers secure housing for newly arrived refugee clients in a context shaped not only by fluctuations in refugee admissions and allocations but also by federal contracts and performance standards. This article uses street-level organizations theory as a guide to analyze original data collected from a comparative organizational ethnography of 2 local urban refugee resettlement organizations. Key findings include that the structure of the refugee admissions and allocation system drives financial instability down to the local level, and that the ability of the local organizations to secure safe, sanitary housing differ based on the extent to which caseworkers prioritize fostering strong relationships with landlords. These findings have implications for how policy makers think about refugee allocations as well as for the ways in which social workers and administrators provide housing-related services to their refugee clients.