Towards the end of November, we interviewed Peter Brest. Peter is Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Counsel on Poverty. Peter used to work at a hospital, where he noticed that most people who were coming in had poverty issues. He then decided to help find housing for homeless people. Nowadays Peter helps elderly people find housing by making it affordable, and his business offers budget counseling. He believes that helping people find their basic needs is the most rewarding part of assisting with those in poverty.

During our interview, we talked about why people are in poverty. Peter told us that if people do not have skills, they can’t get high paying jobs. A typical stereotype about people living in poverty is that these people are lazy and don’t want to work. These people are actually struggling to find multiple jobs, because they don’t have a college degree. Peter told us about the solution to poverty: “Ending poverty is not about giving people money, it’s about employing people. It’s a matter of pride.” What he means by this is that people will have more self respect if they earn money, rather than receiving it. During this field work, we learned about what problems are specifically effecting poverty in New York City. It is a city that has many rich people, and rich people attract more rich people. Because there are so many wealthy people, prices for housing has been getting more and more expensive. Rents for stores are also getting expensive, therefore making the price for food, clothing and other necessities higher. The more wealthy people are in NYC, the more expensive living is for lower and middle class families. In the 1960’s, one person could earn enough to buy a home for their family. Today, in some cases there are 2 people working multiple jobs who cannot afford a home and basic needs for their children. This is why Peter helps them by providing them with very cheap housing. Overall, this fieldwork was informative and useful. We learned a lot of key information that will help push us forward and educate others.