Office Of Refugee Resettlement: Programs

Matching Grant CY 2006

Calendar Year (CY) 2006 marked the 27th anniversary of the Voluntary Agency Matching Grant program. In those twenty-seven years, more than 2.5 million refugees have come to this country and more than 600,000 clients (about 22 percent of all refugees) were served through the Matching Grant program. In FY 2006, refugee arrivals dropped to 41,277 after rebounding in 2005 to 53,813 refugees. ORR provided funding to the nine Voluntary Agencies (Volags) to serve 25,000 clients. Several Volags overenrolled while others held slots open in anticipation of end of the year arrivals that never materialized. As a result, a total of 24,753 refugees, Cuban/Haitian Entrants, asylees and victims of trafficking participated in the Matching Grant program. These clients were served by 241 affiliate sites of the nine voluntary agencies, in 123 cities in 42 States.

The CY 2006 program concluded a three-year project period in which agency funding was determined by performance based awards. Prior to CY 2004, a self-sufficiency measure was taken at 120-days with follow-up at 180 days only on those self-sufficient clients. A change in the reporting requirements and goal plans was initiated for the 2004-2006 Matching Grant project period. Programs were evaluated based on the agencies’ abilities to assist all Matching Grant clients to become self-sufficient by the sixth month. The funding level for each Voluntary Agency was determined based on the relative performance of individual agencies to the performance of all agencies for the previous year. The program captured the outcomes for all enrollments in the program and provided incentives to continue to work with clients that were not yet self-sufficient at the 120 th day. In 2003, 70% of MG clients were self-sufficient by the 120 th day. In 2004, 77% of all clients enrolled in the MG program were deemed economically self-sufficient by the 180 th day. By 2006, 76% of clients were self-sufficient by the 120 th day, and 83% of all clients served were self-sufficient by the 180 th day. All agencies showed improved performance and the agency with the lowest self-sufficiency outcomes achieved significant improvement over the three year period. Performance based awards will continue to be utilized in the Matching Grant program in the upcoming year.

The Matching Grant program, funded by Congress since 1979, provides an alternative approach to State-administered resettlement assistance. The program’s goal is to help refugees attain self-sufficiency within four to six months after arrival, without access to public cash assistance. Participating agencies agree to match the ORR grant with fifty percent cash and in-kind contributions; at least twenty percent of the total match must be in cash. Participating agencies are initial resettlement sites of participating Voluntary Agencies and build upon the relationship with the client developed under the reception and placement grant with the Department of State and/or Department of Homeland Security.

The Matching Grant program is characterized by a strong emphasis on early employment and intensive services during the first six months after arrival. ORR requires participating agencies to provide maintenance (cash, food and housing) for a minimum of the first four months and intensive case management and employment services through the first six months. Additional services, such as English language training and medical assistance, may be provided in-house or arranged through referral to other programs. Refugees in the Matching Grant program may use publicly funded medical assistance. Summaries of the progress reports of the nine participating agencies follow, with all data reported covering the calendar year 2006.

Church World Service (CWS) received$3,438,000 to enroll 1,719 clients. CWS served 1,744 clients. CWS provided Matching Grant services to an additional 25 clients through private resources. Of the clients enrolled, 1,093 were refugees, 535 were Cuban or Haitian entrants and 116 were asylees. Cubans, Meskhetian Turks, Sudanese and Somalis represented the largest ethnicities served through the program. The 180 th day self-sufficiency outcome for CWS was 88 percent.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
CHURCH WORLD SERVICE
Enrolled	724	1,744
Self-sufficient 120 days	634	1,486	84%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	634	1,486	97%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	622	1,582	88%
Entered Employment		781	85%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.03
Health Benefits			50%

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) received $1,948,000 to enroll 974 clients. EMM enrolled 970 clients with an overall self-sufficiency outcome of 90 percent at the 180 th day.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
EPISCOPAL MIGRATION MINISTRIES
Enrolled	389	970
Self-sufficient 120 days	294	743	77%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	298	799	98%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	334	889	90%
Entered Employment		402	88%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.32
Health Benefits		232	64%

Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) received $1,126,000 to enroll 561 clients at seven sites in CY 2006. ECDC enrolled 560 clients, including 529 refugees and 32 asylees. Of the ECDC enrollees, 84 percent were self-sufficient by the 180 th day. The major ethnic groups served through ECDC included Congolese, Ethiopians, Somalis and Sudanese.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
ETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Enrolled	223	561
Self-sufficient 120 days	161	342	72%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	197	390	96%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	240	485	84%
Entered Employment		207	66%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.51
Health Benefits		181	88%

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) received$1, 876,000 to enroll 938 clients at 21 affiliate offices in CY 2006. HIAS enrolled 814 clients, including 788 refugees and 26 asylees. For the first time in the history of its Matching Grant Program, the number of Iranian enrollments exceeded the number of Former Soviet Union family reunification enrollments. HIAS dramatically improved its overall 180- day self-sufficiency outcome, increasing it from 56 percent in CY 2005 to 66 percent in CY 2006.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
HEBREW IMMIGRANT AID SOCIETY
Enrolled	403	814
Self-sufficient 120 days	283	619	59%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	278	633	97%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	289	661	66%
Entered Employment		382	53%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.78
Health Benefits		221	68%

International Rescue Committee (IRC) received $6,126,000 to enroll 3,063 clients in CY 2006. Seventeen IRC regional offices participated in the program. A total of 3,041 clients were enrolled in the Matching Grant Program including 2,064 refugees, 431 asylees, 528 Cuban Parolees and 18 certified victims of trafficking. Forty-seven ethnicities were served. Of the 3,041 clients who reached the 180 th day, 82 percent were self-sufficient.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
Enrolled	1,296	3,041
Self-sufficient 120 days	898	2,121	75%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	935	2,301	96%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	1,018	2,588	82%
Entered Employment		1,195	71%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.24
Health Benefits		685	64%

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) received $7,412,000 to enroll 3,706 clients in CY 2006. The LIRS network served 3,379 clients. Refugee arrivals included Somali Bantu, Hmong, Liberians and Meshketian Turks. The self-sufficiency outcome at 180 days was 84 percent.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICE
Enrolled	1,540	3,379
Self-sufficient 120 days	1,280	2,884	77%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	1,273	2,994	98
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	1,391	3,286	84%
Entered Employment		1,741	76%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.21
Health Benefits		1,094	66%

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) received $14,228,000 to enroll 7,114 clients in CY 2006. USCCB served 8,016 clients through 66 diocesan Matching Grant program sites. USCCB provided Matching Grant services to 902 additional clients through private resources. The percentage of asylees and entrants served, increased to 42.5 percent in CY 2006 from 30.6 percent in CY 2005. Over 100 different nationalities and ethnic groups benefited from the Matching Grant Program. Of the clients reaching 180 days, 80 percent were self-sufficient.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
Enrolled	3,598	7,955
Self-sufficient 120 days	2,768	6,144	73%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	2,589	5,842	94%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	2,895	6,574	80%
Entered Employment		3,440	66%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.10
Health Benefits		1,665	53%

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) received $10,946,000 to enroll 5,473 clients in CY 2006. USCRI enrolled 4,897 clients serving 1,502 refugees, 974 asylees, 36 certified victims of trafficking and 2,385 Cuban and Haitian entrants. USCRI served clients from 77 different countries. At the 180 th day mark, 88 percent of clients were economically self-sufficient. USCRI’s Miami affiliate continues to be their largest site and enrolled 2,077 Cuban and Haitian entrants in CY 2006.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
US COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS
Enrolled	2,712	4,897
Self-sufficient 120 days	2,084	3,984	81%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	2,088	4,063	98%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	2,329	4,467	88%
Entered Employment		2,557	80%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.09
Health Benefits		1,148	48%

World Relief (WR) received $2,900,000 to enroll 1,450 clients in CY 2006. Ten affiliate offices participate in the Matching Grant Program. The two largest programs were Atlanta, GA and Miami, FL. A total of 1,415 clients were enrolled in Matching Grant services. Non- refugee clients made up approximately 25 percent of World Relief’s Matching Grant Program. The number of asylees increased significantly in CY 2006. One-hundred and nine asylees, 242 Cuban parolees and two certified victims of trafficking were served. The remainder was refugees. The largest number of enrollees came from the continent of Africa. Out of the 1,595 enrollees that hit the 180 th day mark, 84 percent were self-sufficient.

Measures	Cases	Individuals	Percentage
WORLD RELIEF
Enrolled	583	1,415
Self-sufficient 120 days	456	1,078	72%
Self-sufficiency retention at 180 days	446	1,108	97%
Overall self-sufficiency at 180 days	517	1,338	84%
Entered Employment		629	69%
Average Hourly Wage		$8.26
Health Benefits		423	74%