Why Do New Yorkers Eligible for Food Stamps Fail to Apply?
As an intern at the Urban Justice Center, Qudsiya Naqui, a junior, discovered first hand how many people have been “lost” in the New York City welfare system. Joining researchers from the center, she spent the summer reaching low income New Yorkers by telephone and in home visits to find out why they have not applied for food stamps, even though they are eligible. “There were so many stories,” Naqui says. “I heard from immigrants who didn’t go into the welfare office because someone outside said that they would be deported.” Following an interview guide that she helped to pre-test and polish, Naqi and others gathered the stories in a systematic way. And now, this fall, she is helping to analyze data to find out why people who are eligible for food stamps fail to apply for them and what can be done to make sure all of those who are eligible receive the help they need. “A lot of things are happening,’ Naqui says, “but what are the trends?” This question drives Naqui’s research because wh
