Refugees in the City: The Neighborhood Effects of Institutional Presence and Flexibility

This article applies the notion of neighborhood effects to compare the resettlement experiences of three newly arrived refugee groups in two urban neighborhoods of the same American city. In light of limited case management support at the city level, refugees' access to neighborhood institutions becomes increasingly critical. We suggest that both the presence and flexibility of refugee-serving institutions, or the ability to respond to the changing demographic composition of newer populations and their needs at the neighborhood level, contribute to refugees' enhanced ability to transition to and navigate their new milieu.