REFUGEE WELCOME CORPORATION
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Mission Statement
Rebuilding neighborhood community in and through resettling people who are refugees.
About This Cause
The West Hill area of Albany, NY has the highest rate of abandoned and vacant buildings in the City. This contributes significantly to a region-wide shortage of low-income affordable housing. At the same time, Albany is a major resettlement area for refugees due to its lower cost of living compared to larger cities, and more affluent areas of the state. More than 4,000 refugees have resettled in the Capital Region since 2005. Language barriers and lack of knowledge of American customs hinder their ability to access programs and services, housing, and employment. In response, Tim Doherty, a community development advocate and resident of the West Hill, created the Refugee Welcome Corporation (RWC). Conceptualized in 2011, the RWC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing together increasingly vacant housing concentrated around one city block with increasing numbers of essentially globally homeless people. Today, with a combination of ownership and leasing, the RWC houses about than 100 people in 30 residential units across 20 buildings. The majority of these tenancies are single mother-led households. Last year, RWC acquired a commercial building that became the West Hill Refugee Welcome Center. The center accommodates a variety of neighborhood needs and services, including English language classes, student homework help, and public health lessons.