Associate Professor Gerardo Sandoval has been confirmed by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Oregon Housing Stability Council. Sandoval was nominated for the post by Oregon Governor Kate Brown. Sandoval teaches in the Department of Planning, Public Policy, and Management (PPPM) at the University of Oregon.

Above: Associate Professor Gerardo Sandoval

“Oregon Housing and Community Services is thrilled to receive Governor Kate Brown’s appointment of University of Oregon Professor, Gerardo Sandoval, to the Housing Stability Council,” Margaret Salazar, OHCS director said in a statement.

“We welcome Professor Sandoval’s expertise on gentrification, the nexus between housing affordability and transit-oriented development in low-income neighborhoods, and creating mechanisms of public participation,” Salazar said. “OHCS will also benefit from his research and outreach experience in southern and eastern rural Oregon, as well as his insight as a disabled military veteran and interest in affordable housing for Oregon veterans.”

The housing council, which consists of nine members, provides leadership and sets policy for the development and financing of affordable housing throughout Oregon.

Sandoval’s research is situated within intersections of urban planning, immigration, and community change. He has published widely in journals focused on urban planning and community development including the Journal of Planning Education and Research, Urban Studies, Community Development, and the Journal of Urbanism. He received his PhD in city and regional planning from the University of California at Berkeley. Sandoval also served as an intelligence officer in the US Army National Guard. 

In 2015, Sandoval was honored with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for his work at the UO. His “research and scholarship clearly embody the spirit and goals of Martin Luther King,” said Richard Margerum, head of the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, in bestowing the award. “His work is focused on engaging some of the most marginal members of society in ways that empower people and improve communities.” 

Sandoval’s work has garnered three national awards, including for best dissertation in planning (2009) from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning; a Paul Davidoff Award for his book Immigrants and the Revitalization of Los Angeles (2013) from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning; and the Chester Rapkin Award for best planning article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research (2014).

Sandoval teaches courses including Planning Theory and Ethics, Human Settlements, Justice and Urban Revitalization, Public Engagement in Diverse Communities, Inclusive Urbanism, and more.

His term on the housing council will expire June 30, 2020. Council members are eligible for reappointment.