Center for Social Justice Hosts Second Annual Housing Justice Summit

On October 25, 2024, the Seton Hall Law School’s Center for Social Justice (CSJ) held its second annual Housing Justice Summit. Welcoming students, tenant advocates, tenants, agencies that serve tenants, and other parties concerned about tenants in New Jersey, over 100 people attended this pivotal and extremely important event. Housing affects every facet of a person’s life, and the summit is an informative and collaborative event discussing one of the most prevalent problems in New Jersey.

The morning started with presentations and a panel, followed by collaborative sessions in the afternoon. This year, esteemed speakers and panelists included Paula Franzese, the Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School; Samantha R. DiDomenico, Director of Transformative Change Consulting at Stout; Dean Dafis, Director of the Office of Eviction Prevention at NJ Department of Community Affairs; Abdul Rehman Khan, Assistant Clinical Professor of the Housing Justice and Legal Design Clinic at Seton Hall Law School; Khabirah H. Myer, Supervising Attorney at the Hudson Valley Justice Center; Quadeer Porter, Executive Director at Brother Building a Better Nation; and Sara Wagner, Associate Director at Teamsters Local 237 Legal Services Plan. The afternoon allowed attendees to choose between three panels in each of two sessions, to discuss the intersection of housing with other areas of law, including criminal justice, disability rights, and immigration.

Students attended the event for networking opportunities and to learn about an area of law that is always in great need of advocates. Attorneys attended because this event provided learning opportunities for attorneys practicing in the field and those interested in  pro bono work. Tenants and community members come and share their stories in the open forum and during break-out sessions in the afternoon.

This year, a Civil Litigation Clinical Student that is currently working  in the Center for Social Justice spoke to attendees during an afternoon session about the intersection of housing rights and survivors of domestic violence. Alex Walton ‘25 shared, “It was enheartening to see many individuals from the community attend to learn more about the housing situation in New Jersey. I was honored to be part of that in presenting on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). I'm looking forward to seeing what we in the community can do to improve housing.”

Established in 2021 with funding from the State of New Jersey, the Housing Justice Project seeks to provide representation and support to tenants in landlord-tenant disputes and with other housing needs. The Project is a collaboration between Seton Hall Law School’s Center for Social Justice and Rutgers Law School. At Seton Hall Law School, the Project includes more than 50 clinic students and volunteers each year who are actively working to provide representation and support to tenants. The project includes the Civil Litigation Clinic, the Health Justice Clinic and the Housing Justice and Legal Design Clinic. In addition to providing direct services to clients, the Housing Justice Project advocates for broader social change in the field of landlord-tenant law, and specifically focuses on the implementation and enforcement of landlord-tenant reform measures.

Visit the project website if you are interested in learning more: https://law.shu.edu/clinics/housing-justice-project.html