EF13: Using Matching Algorithms to Find Refugees Homes with Alexander Teytelboym Economic Frontiers

In this podcast, Alex Teytelboym (Associate Professor at Oxford University) discusses his work on matching theory and refugee resettlement. The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa have created a huge international refugee crisis. Over 100,000 refugees are permanently resettled each year, yet most are assigned to communities in a haphazard way. Alex believes that by using economic matching theory, and by carefully listening to the needs of communities and refugees, we can help more people and improve the quality of life for host towns. We begin the podcast by discussing various concepts in matching theory before moving to the refugee setting. Alex tells us how his proposed matching algorithms can help families with heterogeneous needs find places to live while taking into account the desires and capabilities of host regions.