SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, Supervisor Phil Serna, and community leaders gathered to announce a new coalition geared towards resettlement efforts for Afghanistan refugees.
"ANSAR will give us as a city, county, and state the ability to work to let those 5,000 people know that they are coming to a place that they can call home" said Steinberg at today's press conference.
According to a press release, ANSAR stands for American Network of Services for Afghanistan Refugees. It is a new group that will assist with meeting the needs of Afghan families. This includes housing, job opportunities, and more needed resources.
“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.
Officials said that vacation rental company, Airbnb, is working with local resettlement organizations to "provide free, temporary housing" to the refugees who need the assistance.
"We are going to be prepared to welcome them with open arms," Steinberg said.
