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Neighbors in Action: Former Spartan Village resident proposes on-site refugee housing

Dr. Farha Abbasi and Thom Dye photo
Kevin Lavery
/
WKAR
Dr. Farha Abbasi (left) and Thom Dye would like to see a section of Spartan Village Apartments reserved for incoming refugee families. MSU is planning to close the complex in 2017.

For Neighbors in Action this week we hear the dream of one local man who’d like to see an East Lansing student apartment complex become a home for arriving refugees.

Mid-Michigan is home to about 700 refugees from countries such as Bosnia, Turkey and Iraq. Providing the material support they need is always a challenge, and that includes housing. Thom Dye of Okemos has fond memories of his time living in MSU’s Spartan Village apartments, and he thinks the complex would be a great place to welcome refugees to their new lives in America.

Current State discusses the idea with Dye and Dr. Farha Abbasi, an assistant professor of psychiatry at MSU known for her study of the mental health of immigrants and refugees.

Current State is looking for more nominations for our “Neighbors in Action” feature. Please help us out and email us your suggestions to currentstate@wkar.org. Please put “Neighbors in Action” in the subject line or tweet us @karcurrentstate. Tell us a little bit about why you think they should be featured for the great work that they do.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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