When refugees get money, it can stimulate the local economy. Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images June 3, 2022 Giving refugees money instead of stuff can lead to price gouging – but it doesn’t have to Owen Wu, Indiana University; Alfonso J. Pedraza Martinez, Indiana University, and Telesilla Kotsi, The Ohio State University Cash assistance programs can be designed with incentives that encourage local retailers to keep their prices steady.