Publication type: Journal Article
Beyond Shelter
Subtitle: The Promise and Challenges of Refugee Homestay Accommodation
Authors: Haller, Liam; Rischke, Ramona; Yanaşmayan, Zeynep; Etlar Frederiksen, Sifka Publication year: 2025
In response to the arrival of Ukrainians in March 2022, private homestay emerged as a key tool providing a flexible alternative to traditional reception systems. This paper explores the potential of homestays as a scalable model to address the accommodation needs of diverse refugee groups. We draw on a survey of 7,200 households in Germany and find that the majority of current and potential hosts express positive experiences of living together and willingness to continue offering accommodation. Despite relative preferences in favor of hosting female and Ukrainian refugees, there is still an absolute willingness to provide homestays to several nationalities in addition to Ukranians. However, reluctance to host male refugees shows not only the perseverance of threat perceptions but will likely prevent homestay from serving all refugee demographics at scale. Nevertheless, our study suggests that homestays could meaningfully complement existing reception systems beyond the initial focus on Ukrainians.
doi: 10.1007/s11266-025-00745-z ISSN: 0957-8765