(Sacramento - Nov. 22, 2021) Sacramento’s welcoming spirit was on display Monday morning as Mayor Darrell Steinberg, flanked by members of the local Afghan and Muslim-American community, helped launch a new community coalition focused on helping Afghan communities settle in Sacramento. Local elected leaders, resettlement agencies, non-profit partners and business partners joined Mayor Steinberg to highlight ongoing resettlement efforts.

With more Afghan refugees expected to leave US military bases and resettle in communities across the country in the coming months, the Sacramento region will remain a top destination for many families. Local resettlement agencies, such as the International Rescue Committee, Opening Doors, Inc. and World Relief Sacramento, have spent the last couple of months providing an array of wrap-around services to help Afghan refugees settle into their new lives in the US. However, the need is still far greater than the initial resources available to local resettlement partners.

“The greatness of Sacramento comes from the rich diversity of our population and all of the different experiences and skills they bring to our city. We all need to work together to make the transition for our new neighbors from Afghanistan as smooth as possible and give them the tools they need to make a good life here.” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg

With resettlement efforts slated to continue throughout the holidays and into next year, Supervisor Phil Serna and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors set aside a one-time allocation of $5 million in funding specifically dedicated to helping Afghan populations get the assistance they need in Sacramento.

Watch the live stream of the announcement here.

A number of local Afghan-led organizations and other community stakeholders have also come together to form the American Network of Services for Afghan Refugees of Sacramento Valley (ANSAR Sacramento Valley), a new group that will help meet the needs of more Afghan families, including connecting them to housing, job opportunities, and other resources and providing assistance with with the legal, educational, mental health, housing, and social services necessary to reasonably adjust to life in the Sacramento Valley region. Additionally, the organizations that make up the ANSAR will serve as social connectors for newly arrived Afghan individuals and families.

Gulshan Yusufzai opens remarks at the announcement of the new Afghan led coalition ANSAR Sacramento Valley flanked by Supervisor Phil Serna, Kerry Ham from World Relief, Basim Elkarra from CAIR Sacramento and Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

“The ANSAR of Sacramento Valley will only further our collective efforts to ensure we take a holistic approach to providing the legal, advocacy, and wrap-around services needed to support Afghan arrivals in Sacramento,” said Basim Elkarra, Executive Director of CAIR Sacramento and one of the founding members of ANSAR.

Efforts to make the transition for refugees has not been limited to community-based organizations. Airbnb.org has also been working to meet the needs of refugees as they resettle here in the Sacramento area. To help support the resettlement of Afghans here in the U.S. and elsewhere, in August, Airbnb.org committed to providing free, temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide. Airbnb.org is working with all nine US resettlement agencies and Afghan-led community organizations, including those in Sacramento, to connect Afghan newcomers to a welcoming home in the communities where they plan to resettle. Since the announcement, more than 5,000 Afghan refugees have been housed, including more than 1,000 across California and over 300 in the Sacramento area.

“Airbnb.org is proud to be working with local resettlement organizations to provide free, temporary housing to Afghan newcomers, but we know many of these families left their homes with essentially zero personal possessions, and their needs are immense -- from clothing to food to job opportunities,” said Ayisha Irfan, Senior Airbnb Public Policy Manager, supporting Airbnb.org. “Everyone has a role to play in responding to this crisis, and we invite other businesses to join us in helping support local partners in any way they can in the coming months as they work to serve more Afghan families.”

Local residents can support efforts to help Afghan refugees through the following resources.