Medellin, Colombia

Housing Assistance for Migrant and Displaced Families 

Medellín, the second largest city in Colombia, is the new home of nearly 90,000 displaced Venezuelans. These refugees and asylum seekers join thousands of internally displaced Colombians in the city’s marginalized neighborhoods.  

These displaced communities were among the most affected by Covid-19 and the containment measures put in place by the city and national governments. During the height of the pandemic, city officials – including Mayor Quintero himself- took it upon themselves to walk through the city at night to determine the scale of the impact and the needs of the city’s most vulnerable residents. The city identified housing as one of the most critical issues and provided families with emergency shelter and the financial means to pay for accommodation. Despite these efforts, the demand for housing still outweighed what the city could supply, especially for refugees and asylum seekers who fall outside of certain central government social safety nets.  

To address this central challenge, Medellín’s Global Cities Fund project expands an existing housing assistance program to benefit 270 migrant and displaced families – over 800 people - with three months paid accommodation. At the same time, the project improves these families’ access to the city’s suite of social, legal, health, and employment services. The overall goal of the project is to provide a period of reprieve to those at risk of homelessness while leveraging that time to improve their self-reliance and wellbeing. Said Mayor Quintero, “this project offers a way for the city to effectively reach refugees and other vulnerable groups, many whom prefer to stay anonymous, with assistance and to inform them of their rights, including the right to adequate housing, health, and nutrition.”