Refugee Shelter Coalition

The Refugee Shelter Coalition is a new initiative to bring together like-minded corporate partners that understand the importance of having a place to call home.

Millions of refugees have long relied on what has become a familiar symbol of safety and protection: the iconic white and blue UNHCR tents. These makeshift shelters, prone to wind, fire and rain damage, and offering little privacy, only last up to 12 months.

We knew we needed to do better and worked with partners to come up with an alternative: a more durable, safer and dignified shelter called Refugee Housing Unit (RHU).

But it doesn’t stop there. UNHCR is determined to continue finding housing solutions for refugees and we simply cannot do this without the support of our dedicated partners.

How to become a member

With the combined investment, reach and expertise of Coalition Members, UNHCR will be able to find new and better shelter solutions for refugees just like the RHU.

To become a Coalition Member, we are asking your company to make a minimum annual contribution of £20,000, which can be a one-off gift or raised by employees, and help raise awareness of the urgent shelter needs of millions of refugees.

To join us visit unhcr.org/sheltercoalition

Members of the Coalition will benefit from the following in return for their commitment:

Recognition: A presence as a founding Coalition Member on a special UNHCR webpage, a thank you in industry press and a personalised letter of thanks from the UNHCR Representative to the UK. We’ll also provide Members with a unique Coalition Mark to use on your website and emails.

RHU Challenge: Four hours, two UNHCR staff, a crack team of your employees and one RHU – the ultimate flatpack challenge and a truly immersive experience as your team come together to build an RHU at your office.

Fundraising support & materials: Whether its videos or web articles, compelling stories of the families we support or training tips for a 10k, we're on hand to provide rich, engaging content for all your employees and audiences.

Corporate responsibility: Directly contribute to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Exclusive events and briefings: As a Coalition Member you'll receive invitations to a range of exclusive events throughout the year including our annual award ceremony in Geneva.

Field visit: For our top performing Coalition Members we’ll explore a visit to the field with a group of employees to see a deployed RHU.