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Program Information

The Refugee IDA program, funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, helps recent refugee arrivals fulfill their American dream to purchase either a home, earn a post-secondary education/trade credential, open a small business, or purchase a vehicle to drive to work or school. The promise of having one or more of those assets is a ticket to self-sufficiency and independence.
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Eligible individuals are people who can show proof of refugee status, are not yet citizens, have been in the US for five years or less at the time of enrollment; have earned income; whose gross household earned income at the time of enrollment does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level or, only if seeking the homeownership asset, does not exceed 80% of the Housing and Urban Development's Area Family Median Income (HAMFI); whose assets at the time of enrollment do not exceed $10,000, excluding the value of a primary residence and one vehicle; and who have not already received IDA match funds from an ORR-funded IDA program.

2024 Asset Total Purchases:

• Home: 15 

• Microbusiness: 16 

• Auto: 74 

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List of Current Partner Sites

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Asian Services in Action
Types of Assets Offered: Homeownership, Micro-Enterprise, Vehicle, Education
Service Area: Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Trumbull, and Wayne Counties

​Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services
Types of Assets Offered: Education, Homeownership, Micro-Enterprise, Vehicle, Education
Service Area: Franklin County