Your tax dollars:

One hears over and over from the proponents of more refugee resettlement how refugees are industrious and start businesses that help revitalize cities.  Surely some do—-with a little help from the Feds.   A few days ago we addressed the issue of how refugees get cars.  In that post we mentioned Individual Development Accounts as a way of saving to get a car, or start a business.  But, there is yet another way you subsidize refugee businesses with your tax dollars.  It’s called the Microenterprise Development Program.

The federal government (Office of Refugee Resettlement) gives grants to volags who in turn use the money to give refugees a leg-up in business.  I’m just wondering if the average poor American schmo in Hagerstown could get in on this, or do you have to have been persecuted somewhere else in the world  for this sweet deal?   The answer:    No schmos accepted; persecution is a prerequisite. 

The microenterprise development projects are intended for recently arrived refugees on public assistance, refugees who possess few personal assets, and refugees who lack a credit history that meets commercial lending standards. The projects are also intended for refugees who have been in the U.S. for several years and wish to supplement salaried income.

The grants are administered by the volags which of course must endear them to their refugee clients.  I’m not a business person but these numbers don’t sound so great to me.

Excluding loan funds, the total amount of ORR operational funding expended for these microenterprise projects was $26,846,726 over the fourteen-year period. For 5,275 businesses assisted, this represents an average cost-per-business start or expansion of $5,089.

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The total number of jobs created by new and expanding/strengthening businesses (including the business owner) was 5,218 which translates to $5,145 per job created.

So, let me get this straight?   Almost $27,000,000 was expended just to administer the program, and that doesn’t include the loan itself?  And, these grants given out by the likes of Jewish Family Services, Church World Service and Catholic Charities to name a few cost us over $5000 per job created.    Hey, ACLU where’s the separation of church and state?  Nevermind that, where is Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform?   Oh, yeh, I forgot Mr. Norquist is lobbying for more refugees.  

 Your tax dollars:

We have had posts lately about scandals, abuse of women, arrests for human trafficking, and sneaky dead of night amendments to increase refugee numbers, but once in awhile we have to get back to one of our missions and that is just plain educating our readers on how the federal Refugee Resettlement program benefits this special class of immigrant. 

At the September forum on refugee resettlement in Hagerstown, someone asked the government officials and church contractors if refugees could get cars somehow.  The questioner was thoroughly dismissed.  But, there is a way.

Through a special grant program called the Individual Development Accounts (IDA) a refugee can save for several goals (one is a car) and have his savings matched through a federal grant (your tax dollars).

Individual development accounts are matched savings accounts available for the purchase of specific assets. Under the IDA program, the matching funds, together with the refugee’s own savings from their employment, are available for purchasing one (or more) of four savings goals: home purchase; microenterprise capitalization; post secondary education or training; and in some cases, purchase of an automobile if necessary to maintain or upgrade employment.

I contacted the manager of this grant program and learned that ORR currently funds this program in eight locations:    Wheaton, IL, Sacramento, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Des Moines, IA, New York, NY, St. Louis, MO, Louisville, KY, and Nashville, TN.      The grants are awarded through public agencies or private volags (non profit groups).

No wonder Louisville is a magnet for secondary migration.

So, the answer is YES, there is a way in some parts of the US for refugees to get cars.  I wonder why we couldn’t get that simple answer from the experts. 

I don’t wonder anymore why hundreds of thousands are beating down embassy doors throughout the world in hopes of being a “refugee” in America

Actually there may be another way to become a car owner.  Some of the volags operate used car lots.  Cars are donated to the volag and the non-profit group uses the donations for the Match Grant Program where it receives cash from the federal government for the donated items (cars in this case).   Will investigate this another day.

We hope we have piqued your interest in Refugee Resettlement with some of our recent posts.  It’s important for you to start following what is happening in your state with refugees.   A good place to start is by finding your State Refugee Coordinator.   The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) maintains a list here.

Contact your state office and find out what Volags operate in your state, the number of refugees being resettled and where they are going.