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(RNS) — When Mamdou Seck immigrated to Atlanta from Senegal in 2023, he needed somewhere to live as he looked for work. A nonprofit, Inner-City Muslim Action Network-Atlanta, gave him one.

Today, he shares an apartment complex, Teranga Village, with about a dozen other men, all from Senegal. Launched in 2023, IMAN’s program offers subsidized housing, food, and help finding lawyers for new immigrants. Teranga means “hospitality” in Wolof, a commonly spoken language in Senegal.

“If it wasn’t for IMAN, it would have been way more difficult to just kind of get on my feet,” Seck, 34, said through a translator. “They are providing a way for me to get stable.”

IMAN launched the transitional housing program for new immigrants in 2023 after being tapped by the Atlanta mayor’s office. Hundreds of Senegalese immigrants had come to Atlanta via the southern border, according to estimates from advocacy groups.…