A Home for Everyone: Housing People With Justice Involvement
Each year in New York, thousands of people are released from prison and jail without a place to live. There are over 750,000 people with a criminal record in New York City, and many of them end up in the shelter system. However, legal system involvement is NOT an indication that a person will be a “bad” tenant. As residents, they are just as likely if not more so to pay rent, respect their neighbors and contribute to the safety and upkeep of their homes. When individual housing providers embrace fair chance housing practices by allowing system-impacted people to rent and lease properties, they can help keep New York City a welcoming, prosperous and safe city for all.
Watch videos on how housing discrimination impacts justice-involved individuals
In 2022, The Fortune Society created a series of videos to break down the myths about housing discrimination against people with justice and conviction histories and educate people about the need for legislation like the Fair Chance for Housing Act in New York City.
If you are interested in offering housing to people with prior criminal legal system involvement or have tenants with this background, please get in touch with The Fortune Society for more information.
