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Housing options needed for next year’s foreign students

Some Cape Region workers arrived with no place to live
October 11, 2016

Nearly 900 international students made their way to the Cape Region this summer to work, but when they arrived, many were unable to find housing.

Housing was a major concern for the 27 employers who attended a Sept. 14 employers conference held by the J-1 International Student Outreach program in Rehoboth Beach.

Maryanne Kauffman, chair of the program, said, “Unless the employers and the sponsors work together to get housing for their students before they come, they might not be getting students.”

Students have a sponsor organization that, in addition to their employer, is their main point of contact in the U.S. The sponsors are generally private entities overseen by the U.S. Department of State. The sponsors select the students and place them in a particular area. The students are supposed to check in with their sponsor once a month and to notify the sponsor if they change jobs or leave the area. However, most of the time, the responsibility for finding housing falls to the employers.

When asked if the sponsors should take a more active role in helping the students find housing, Kaitlin Devaney of sponsor organization Intrax said, “Housing is an ongoing challenge, and it’s not something the sponsors can do solely, alone. That being said, as sponsors, what will happen if there are certain areas that we know are problematic, we won’t place students there.”

In the Rehoboth area over the summer, reports surfaced of students living in overcrowded conditions, such as 23 people sharing a three-bedroom house and 16 students living in a two-bedroom house. Most students that could not find housing were from Turkey, Kauffman said.

“Unfortunately, the students were given the wrong information. They were told in-country by a country representative, not a sponsor, that they could get housing when they got here,” she said.

Nathan Arnold, spokesman for the State Department, said, “The department does not regulate the number of J-1 exchange visitors that are placed in a given town or location.  However, before placing any J-1 exchange visitor, sponsors are required to ensure that sufficient suitable housing is available.  If a town or location lacks suitable housing, sponsors are expected to find an alternative placement location that meets all regulatory requirements for housing.   Without appropriate housing, a productive and positive program experience is unlikely.” 

Sharon Palmer-Stauffer, realtor with Coldwell Banker, said ideally, the employers will set up housing and a paycheck deduction schedule to pay the rent. The flipside, she said, are desperate students showing up at her office with $50 in their pocket trying to find housing at the height of tourist season.

Kauffman said she was disappointed that out of 148 employers who hire students on J-1 visas, only 27 came to the Sept. 14 conference.

“Because they are here, they’re generally the good employers. They are the ones that are not part of the problem. The ones who are part of the problem are the ones who are not helping in any way with their students to have housing. My takeaway from what’s being said is unless the employers and the sponsors work together to get housing for their students before they come, they may not be getting students,” she said.

Students who work every summer in Rehoboth, Dewey and Lewes come on J-1 visas, a cultural-exchange visa with a work component. According to Ida Abell, program analyst for the State Department, there were 721 students in Rehoboth alone this summer, with 106 in Dewey Beach and 58 in Lewes. The countries sending the most students were Romania with 140, Turkey with 117 and Bulgaria with 94. A big factor in students not finding housing is when they arrived. Abell said most came in May and June, with 584 students coming in June.

“The Romanians are usually at the top of the list. I’m concerned about the students going back to Turkey. Some that we have become friends with were going to universities that have been shut down,” Kauffman said. With the president of Turkey has blaming a cleric in Pennsylvania for a coup attempt this summer, many universities have been closed, she said.

“Those students, in addition to going back to a troubled homeland, aren’t sure what they are going to be doing about school,” Kauffman said.

She said there is very little the program can do for the Turkish students going back.

 

J-1 student happy with Rehoboth experience

While housing, or lack thereof, was the main concern of advocates for the J-1 visa program, those that were here have reported positive experiences.

Katerina Labudova is a 23-year-old student from the Czech Republic who in addition to work, found time to volunteer at the international student dinners held weekly at Epworth United Methodist Church during the summer.

She said every student has to pay a fee to American sponsor, usually between $600 to $1,000 to come. Labudova said this year, she became an Ambassador Scholar, which means she will be given a scholarship for completing volunteer service requirements in her host community. She discussed her personal experience in Rehoboth.

 

1) What made you decide to enroll in the J-1 program and come to the US?

I am second timer. Last year I spent my summer in Cincinnati. The main reasons are practicing English on a daily basis, earn money, travel around and get engaged with Americans.

 

2) What did you do in the Rehoboth area?

I wanted to be close to the water and have a typical summer job in a resort or restaurant. I worked at Leisure Point Resort in Long Neck as a housekeeper and pool attendant. In my free time I visited Ocean City; Washington, D.C.; Lewes and Dewey.

 

3) Did you have difficulty finding housing?

I was lucky and my housing was provided by my employer. However, I know from others that housing wasn't good at all. My friend lived with 11 other people in an apartment - two bedrooms, one bathroom and a little kitchen -  and paid $110 per week which is crazy. Housing in Rehoboth Beach is obviously an issue.

 

4) What was the most difficult aspect of the experience?

Difficult part was occasional misunderstandings between me - as a European I guess - and Americans, usually about the little things. Sometimes customers were really rude, some even made comments about my country of origin. Also traveling without a car is quite difficult and even though the buses were fine, it took a lot of time.

 

5) What was the best?

The best part was meeting amazing and inspiring people. I was lucky enough to make awesome friends, and I will make sure to visit them somewhere in the USA or maybe in Europe. We prepared a typical Czechoslovak meal for our employers and they loved it. Having conversation about places my friends visited, learning slang and expressions. I've enjoyed sun, ocean and exploring area. Also volunteering was way more fun then I expected, and leading a volunteer project in the resort was a great way to engage with even more Americans and to do some good together.

 

6) Did you ride a bike to get around? If so, did you find it difficult to navigate the area?

I did, and I had no problems at all. It was actually a great way to visit places in neighborhood. On the other hand, a lot of Americans warned me not to ride a bike since there were apparently a lot of accidents, some of them deadly. My international friends living close to the Boardwalk did not have problems either, and they enjoyed riding around very much. I think one of the churches lent bikes to the international students, but not everybody got one.

 

7) Would you come back?

I would come back because Rehoboth Beach is awesome, and it'd be great to see my friends again. I would like to work in the heart of Rehoboth Beach though.

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