Intro
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the inequalities between immigrant New Yorkers and their U.S.-born neighbors. As the city moves through the COVID-19 pandemic and strives to recover, it is essential to align policy with New York’s past, present, and future as a city of immigrants.
As the city moves through the COVID-19 pandemic and strives to recover, it is essential to align policy with New York’s past, present, and future as a city of immigrants.
Today, foreign-born residents account for 37% of New York City’s population and 44 % of its workforce. However, many immigrant New Yorkers are still deprived of equal opportunity and quality of life. Foreign-born residents are lower income and experience higher rates of poverty, housing cost burden and overcrowded living conditions than their U.S.-born neighbors.
A disproportionate share of immigrant New Yorkers is vulnerable to losing their housing due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Half of the city’s small businesses, many of which are suffering crippling financial loss from forced closures, are owned by immigrants. Immigrants are also disproportionately represented among the city’s essential workers, who do not have the option of staying home and bear a greater risk of exposure to COVID-19 as a result. Thousands of undocumented residents living in informal housing arrangements are confined to substandard living conditions that can cause and exacerbate illness.
Released in May 2020, at the height of NYC’s COVID-19 pandemic, CHPC’s issue brief demonstrates how a Housing Plan for a City of Immigrants could advance COVID-19 response and recovery.
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Explore the initiative
A NEW LENS FOR NYC HOUSING PLAN
Housing Plan for a City of Immigrants is part of A New Lens for NYC’s Housing Plan, CHPC’s research and education initiative to explore how New York City’s next housing plan could have a broader impact beyond counting units. The next housing plan provides an opportunity for communities and policymakers to widen the discussion, articulate new metrics, and develop a shared vision of housing policy for the city.