St. Louis' Office of New Americans tries to turn the tide on city population decline
Over the past few years, St. Louis-area resettlement agencies and immigrant organizations have received thousands of new arrivals from Afghanistan, Ukraine, parts of Africa and other countries with hopes that they would help increase St. Louis’ declining population and boost its economy.
According to the U.S. census, there are over 135,000 foreign-born people living in the St. Louis region, which is about 5% of the population.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones created the Office of New Americans in October to help streamline resources for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Her goal is to prioritize newly arriving families by helping them navigate local services and connecting them with various city agencies that can prepare them for life in St. Louis.