Temporality, refugees, and housing: The effects of temporary assistance on refugee housing outcomes in Italy

While scholarly interest in forced migration has grown in recent years, the analytic focus has primarily been a spatial one. However, there is a growing recognition of the need to incorporate the temporal dimension into analyses of forced migration, in particular concerning the governance of refugee processing, reception and settlement. This recognition is based on a desire to better understand how states use time and timing to create borders, to define state membership, and to limit access to resources. This research addresses this gap in the literature, focusing on how temporality within the Italian national refugee reception programs shapes housing outcomes for refugees (people with political asylum, subsidiary and humanitarian protection status) in Bergamo (Italy). The findings show that after exiting accommodation centers refugees in Bergamo experienced multiple forms of housing instability, including homelessness, sleeping rough, doubling up, and using temporary structures. We argue here that the temporary and transitional nature of the housing and employment programs provided through the reception system are a significant explanatory factor.