2025 Summer Scholars Program at the Center for Research on Housing Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Center for Research on Housing Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity (HOME) seeks students to join its research team for the summer of 2025.  The Center for Research on HOME is excited to offer the 2025 Summer Scholars Program to provide energetic and motivated undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to obtain experience in applied research within a large government housing agency. Our research scholars program offers students the opportunity to work closely with the HPD research team on better understanding how the city helps low-income families in NYC find and maintain safe and affordable housing. The program also provides training to help students in their professional development as social scientists, such as skills related to primary data collection, fieldwork, survey design and administration, data dissemination, and translation of findings into practice.

Why do research at HPD

As the largest municipal housing agency in the U.S., HPD strives to advocate for the quality and affordability in NYC’s housing, and diversity and strength in NYC’s neighborhoods. The findings from research conducted at HPD directly helps residents of NYC through policies developed to promote resident health and safety along with affordable housing. The creation, maintenance, and expansion of opportunities for New Yorkers— including housing voucher holders, formerly homeless households, people with disabilities, and populations with unmet needs—are important to attain the economic and social benefits of housing affordability.

About the HOME Scholars Program

HOME Scholars will conduct and contribute to original research to tackle the long-standing and ongoing issues on housing that residents of NYC face, including but not limited to, issues pertaining to disparities in residential environment, housing equity, building quality and maintenance, neighborhood amenities, access to high-performing schools, health and well-being, neighborhood safety, and availability of affordable and healthy foods. They will also support the Center for Research on HOME staff members with various tasks, such as conducting fieldwork and interviews, general outreach, and supporting projects. The HPD research team partners with academics, applied researchers, stakeholders, and federal agencies to employ an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to inform policy and guide policymakers and housing programs.

Expectations of a HOME Scholar

All work will be done in person at the Center for Research on HOME’s offices at HPD. There are no options for remote or hybrid work. HOME Scholars will work intensively with the research team on preparation for the NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYCHVS). This is a citywide representative survey of New York City’s housing stock and population that is fielded about every three years (including 2026) by the city of New York. Tasks may include early stage activities such as going to residences across the five boroughs of NYC to test questions, surveying adults outside in public areas to assess question phrasing,  develop materials for survey respondents, and support the research team with questionnaire development and other various tasks.

HOME Scholars will also have regular one-on-one meetings with the HPD research team’s Learning and Development Coordinator and staff members with expertise on their project.  The program will begin on Monday, June 2, 2025 and HOME Scholars are expected to work 25 to 35 hours per week for a least 10 weeks and up to 13 weeks.  The hours and dates worked by HOME Scholars must be negotiated prior to the start of the summer program.

Eligibility requirements:

• Strong interest in research
• Must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited academic institution during the time of application
• Must begin on Monday, June 2, 2025
• Work for 25 to 35 hours per week 
• Work for a minimum of 10 weeks beginning on Monday, June 2nd

Strongly preferred knowledge and skills include:

• Ability to work quickly and meticulously in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work both independently and with a team
• Proven desire to learn by doing and work hard to ensure the highest quality output
• Energetic, pro-active, independent, and intellectually curious

Interdisciplinary and collaborative research approach

The HPD research team welcomes researchers from a variety of backgrounds and fields, such as urban planning, sociology, geography, data science, economics, language justice, social work, public health, public policy, and psychology. Mixed methods research is applied in the execution of elegantly-designed projects to ensure findings that are rigorous, relevant, representative, high in quality, and effective in informing policy. The research team envisions a group of highly disciplined and motivated Summer Scholars of diverse training to contribute to the study of critical issues like housing disparities, residential mobility, neighborhood effects, and socioeconomic inequality.

How to apply

To apply to be a HOME Scholar for the summer of 2025:

1. Please submit your most recent resume

2. Also submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the summer program.

3. You must also complete a supplemental application at this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=x2_1MoFfIk6pWxXaZlE773emy34bNplKqDXMxNsVMNtUNUozVk9VUkxHWlM4V1dKMDVaSkxXRzVXQy4u

The priority deadline is Monday, March 31, 2025 at 12:00 p.m., however, applicants who submit their documents afterwards will be considered on a rolling basis. Positions are highly competitive and interested students are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline. Among applicants who submit their documents by the priority deadline, those selected for an interview will be contacted by the middle of April.

The Center for Research on HOME website: https://www.nyc.gov/site/hpd/about/research.page