Gerardo Benavides, MPP ’23, Interviewed about Immigrant Housing Hardships Report

October 18, 2022

As part of a summer 2022 internship, Bloustein School MPP student Gerardo Benavides worked with Make the Road New Jersey to collect 400+ surveys and contribute to a report titled Housing Insecurity: A survey of tenants in Elizabeth, Passaic and Perth Amboy.

Watch video interview: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/immigrant-renters-face-extreme-hardships-report-says/

Abstract

New Jersey faces an affordable housing crisis that has reached unprecedented levels. The crisis predates COVID-19, but its severity and size have only been exacerbated by the pandemic’s impact on the state’s economy and social fabric. The soaring cost of housing has an outsized impact on renters.

Based on an extensive survey and in-depth interviews with nearly 400 low-income tenants of color and immigrant tenants in these cities, the study shows the extreme hardship and severity of the housing crisis as experienced by immigrant renters of color. After analysis of the survey responses, we provide a series of policy recommendations for how our state and local governments can respond to the mounting housing insecurity.

Other Media Coverage

Recent Posts

Armstrong Featured in Notre Dame Lawyer Magazine

Hon. Paul Armstrong, Bloustein School Senior Health Administration Fellow and Judge in Residence, was featured in the Winter 2026 issue of Notre Dame Lawyer (pages 79-80), a magazine for alumni. A 1973 Notre Dame Law School graduate, Armstrong played a pivotal role in...

We’re Hiring: Asst/Assoc. Prof of Teaching, Health Administration

The Bloustein School invites applications for a full-time, non-tenure-track teaching position in Health Administration, with appointment expected to begin July 2026. This is a multi-year teaching appointment. Applicants should have: academic experience and...

Report: Economic Challenges for Older New Jersey Residents

New Jersey State Policy Lab Report Release: Economic Challenges for Older New Jersey Residents   Read Report In February 2024, New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW) conducted a Statewide Survey of Older Adults. This survey gathered both quantitative and...

NJSPL: Electricity Bills and AI Data Centers

Considering the impact of AI on electricity bills, data centers in the Northeast could be part of the problem. Across the country, from Ohio to New Jersey, electricity prices are spiking [2, 3]. It’s a tangible financial pain, costing $122 more per month for the...

Andrea Hetling Appointed to APPAM Governing Board

Congratulations to Andrea Hetling, Ph.D., on her appointment to the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Policy Council, the organization’s governing board. In this role, Dr. Hetling will help shape APPAM’s strategic direction and policy...