Cites advocacy in wake of "landlord negligence."
Robert Marmor, president and chief executive officer of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts, posted the following comments on the agency's website, http://www.jfswm.org/, in response to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno's letter to the U.S. State Department. Sarno is asking that requests from such agencies to settle more refugees in Springfield be denied, because of what Sarno cites as housing, educational and crime problems.
JFS Friends and Colleagues
I am writing to bring to your attention remarks by Mayor Sarno in regard to the resettlement of refugees in the City of Springfield. He has issued a press release which garnered broad media interest.
Jewish Family Service resettles about 200 individuals a year, last year 68% were placed in Springfield.
The Mayor held a meeting on July 17, 2013 with Jewish Family Service and Lutheran Social Services (the other resettlement agency in Hampden County which resettles about 400 individuals a year).
At the meeting he cited serious concerns about refugee housing and poor communication with city officials about refugees. That week I personally went on 8 home visits, spoke to refugees and found that two apartments were in poor condition due to landlord negligence. The JFS staff have been advocating for these families to improve conditions.
The following week we met with the MA Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) to discuss the concerns brought to our attention and work on a response. The ORI Executive Director requested a meeting with Mayor Sarno. We have also been in close contact with HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) our national resettlement organization.
First, I want to assure you that JFS does not place any individual or family in "uninhabitable" residences or unsafe conditions.
The City of Springfield has always been a welcoming community to newcomers and JFS is a proud partner in this humanitarian cause. We have enjoyed good relationships with the City including the school department.
In fact, we have a Refugee School grant from ORI with JFS bilingual bicultural staff are assigned to work with the Springfield Public Schools. Additionally, the City of Springfield provides a grant to JFS to provide ESL classes geared to help refugees enter the work place.
We will continue to work closely with the City, ORI, HIAS and our local refugee providers on behalf of the refugee community.
I will update you as we learn more. In the meantime please contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Bob
Robert Marmor, MSW, MBA
President & CEO