Studies: Refugees Provide Boost to Region

Perceived by many as outsiders who become a burden on local communities, refugees living in the Mohawk Valley are an overall benefit to the region's economy, despite an initial cost, according to Hamilton College researchers.  "It's very easy to see the costs.  It's very hard to see the benefits," said Paul Hagstrom, an associate economics professor at Hamilton College, who helped direct the two-year study regarding the refugee' overall costs and benefits... The Hamilton College study found that the costs for a single refugee household-primarily in education, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Medicaid- outweigh the benefits in the early years of resettlement, Hagstrom said.