A new report is calling for public housing authorities to change certain policies to prevent excluding people with criminal records.
The Prison Policy Initiative report found that some public-housing policies work against people who once were convicted, for instance, of using marijuana. While it’s legal in Michigan, 36 other states and Washington D.C., the Department of Housing and Urban Development prohibits marijuana use in public housing since it’s still illegal at the federal level.
Wanda Bertram, a communications strategist for the Prison Policy Initiative, said access to housing is critical to help people restart their lives.
“Someone coming out of prison might have a whole host of issues to work on,” she said. “They might have a health issue, they may have a substance-use problem, they might have a mental illness. These are all issues that are disproportionately prevalent among people leaving prison. They might not have very many job prospects, but in order to begin tackling all of those problems, they need a place to live.”
Studies have shown that in Michigan, public-housing authorities currently exclude 284,000 people with conviction histories – more than 3.5% of adults statewide. State regulations don’t specifically exclude those with criminal convictions, but give local housing authorities “wide-ranging discretion” on rental decisions.
The report recommended that public housing authorities could be more inclusive by removing lengthy “look-back periods” in screening prospective renters, and issuing clear explanations about why a person was denied housing.
Bertram said changes to the appeals process would also aid people with criminal records.
“With public housing authorities there’s always, in theory, an option to appeal if you’re denied,” she said. “There should be an option to have the authority review your case. Now, authorities need to make that option basically guaranteed to everybody who’s denied, including people who are denied based on a criminal record.”
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development issued guidance in 2022 to ensure that public-housing authorities don’t exclude people on the basis of a criminal record. Still, there’s no clear picture of whether state and local housing agencies are following the guidance.
4 comments
Because if there’s one thing public housing needs more of it’s substance abuse, mental health issues and crime. Let’s make an already poor situation worse. Great idea. (typed using my sarcasm font)
Yes but if that happened 10 years ago why should I still be being penalized for it after the fact? That doesn’t seem right
Lori that is dangerous logic. As an example If a convicted rapists or child molester serves his 10 years in prison and is released should he be placed next to a struggling single mother in a project building? Or the burglar or served 8 and is released with now probation. Let’s also not forget there is a 75% recidivism rate in the United States. It is an unreasonably high risk. If you can’t do the crime don’t do the crime. Its called public housing because we pay for it not because it’s for everyone.
I am far more concerned with the well being of the law abiding residents than the criminal applicants.
Of course, the REAL solution is to abolish HUD completely… It’s just one more thing the Federal government should not be involved in.