In 2020, the Legislature passed NJSA 22A:2-51a, funding law school programs to prepare more law students to help with the housing crisis. The legislation acknowledged that the lack of affordable housing, long an issue in New Jersey, was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx residents of New Jersey. The Legislature renewed these critical appropriations in 2022 and 2023. Thanks to ongoing support from the Legislature, the New Jersey Housing Justice Project continues helping improve conditions for low- and middle-income tenants, promote housing stability in the state, and build a new generation of advocates.

In the last academic year, 84 students participated in the law schools' housing justice clinics.  Seventeen of those students were able to return for a second semester as advanced students.  The clinic students provided more than 25,000 hours of clinic service.

As part of the project, law students and recent graduates have:

• defended parents in eviction cases and helped them obtain repairs to make their homes safer for their children.
• assisted tenant organizations and challenged illegal rent hikes. 
• helped seniors find new apartments with the supportive services they need to continue to call New Jersey home.