CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WINA) – IRC Charlottesville has begun to assist Afghans who’ve come to America on Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for their service to the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan. In the end, 250 will be settled in and around Charlottesville and Albemarle. That leaves IRC Charlottesville in desperate need of housing.

“It’s not the way we normally plan refugee resettlement, but it’s an emergency,” IRC Executive Director Harriet Kuhr said during a Tuesday morning news conference. “This is a true emergency.”

IRC Charlottesville is dealing some refugees already, with many of them living in hotels until something else can be found, be it long-term or short-term housing. But the floodgates will soon open.

“I don’t think they’ve ever had to help so many people so fast, all at one time, in a short period of time. Two hundred fifty refugees all at once, in the middle of a COVID pandemic, in the middle of an affordable housing crisis, and an uncertain job market,” Charlottesville City Councilor Lloyd Snook said.

People with rental properties who are interested in assisting refugees can learn more here.

Faith and civic groups interesting in sponsoring a family can contact sponsor.va@rescue.org through which they will receive an automatic response including information on sponsorship and other opportunities, as well.