With hundreds of Syrian refugees set to arrive in Waterloo Region in the next few months, finding proper housing for them remains a challenge.

Regional housing officials are playing a role in organizing the housing effort – but won’t be directly providing accommodations themselves.

They held a forum Thursday afternoon for property owners interested in housing refugees to learn more about the process.

“There’s housing out there that’s below average market rent. That’s affordable to some people,” said Deb Schlicter, the region’s director of housing.

“It’s not government-sponsored, or government-assisted, or subsidized. It’s private market.”

That private housing is the sort of accommodations that are being sought for government-sponsored refugees.

The money will come from the housing allowance provided to refugees by the federal government.

For privately sponsored refugees, finding suitable housing is up to the people or groups doing the sponsoring.

About two dozen property owners attended Thursday’s session.