With racial disparities in New Jersey’s housing sector among the highest in the nation, a panel of top housing reform experts, organizations, and activists came together to host the third installment of the IMAGINE MORE: Racial Justice Begins with Us virtual event series: “Achieving Safe and Healthy Homes for All.” IMAGINE MORE, led by The Fund for New Jersey, is a first-of-its-kind, 6-part virtual series that aims to educate the public on the need for reparations and offer accessible strategies for remedying racial injustice.

Event speakers for “Achieving Safe and Healthy Homes for All” included Rev. Eric Dobson, Deputy Director, Fair Share Housing Center; Sheryll Cashin, Author and Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Civil Rights and Social Justice at Georgetown University; and Gantry Fox, Operations Director, Salvation and Social Justice; and moderator Grizel Ubarry, Vice-Chair, The Fund for New Jersey. The speakers discussed the affordable housing crisis and how pathways to homeownership, investments, and community-building can repair inequities and create wealth and opportunities for our state’s diverse communities.

“Despite being one of the wealthiest states in the country, New Jersey has the 12th highest racial and ethnic wealth gap. This gap is directly linked to a lack of meaningful investment in affordable housing and homeownership opportunities for New Jersey’s diverse communities. We must do better, which is why The Fund for New Jersey and its co-sponsor partners brought together leading advocates, activists, and experts for this event,” explained Kiki Jamieson, President of The Fund for New Jersey. “We’d like to thank our speakers, who shared their knowledge of housing injustice, the harm that communities of color in New Jersey face, and solutions and policy measures that can help to address these issues now.”

New Jersey remains one of the most segregated states by race and income. This event addressed the root causes of these disparities and outlined what intentional efforts can be made to remedy the housing crisis in the Garden State.
“As we commemorate the 54th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act this month, we must continue dismantling systemic barriers that prevent New Jersey’s diverse communities from accessing safe and affordable homes,” stated Richard Roper, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Fund for New Jersey. “The IMAGINE MORE initiative is important because we need to keep the spotlight on the need to enact solutions that will repair the harms of housing injustice inflicted upon historically marginalized communities. I am grateful to our speakers and supporters for lending their time and expertise to help push forward meaningful changes in how we address systemic racism in New Jersey.”

IMAGINE MORE launched in February during Black History Month with the first installment focusing on solutions to address New Jersey’s racial wealth gap, which is the highest in the nation. The upcoming events will continue to bring together an influential array of leaders to discuss disparities in education, healthcare, and more.

Reaching Equity in Education
May 17, 2022
6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Ensuring Health For All
June 21, 2022
6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Building Political Power of the Most Impacted
July 19, 2022
6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Following each event, participants are able to connect with organizations that are moving the needle on racial justice as well as receive resources and information to guide them on advocating within their own communities.

About IMAGINE MORE

IMAGINE MORE: Racial Justice Begins with Us (www.imaginemorenj.org) brings together one of the largest and most diverse lineups of New Jersey organizations and voices from across the ideological spectrum to develop an action plan for racial justice and reparations. Participants include national thought leaders, philanthropic and community-based organizations, policy advocates, jurists, and local activists who have been directly impacted by injustice.