November 16-24 is Homelessness Awareness Week, and through our work with READI Chicago, we have seen what a huge barrier housing can present for the men we serve and returning citizens in general.
Thirteen percent of participants in READI Chicago are experiencing housing insecurity, presenting obstacles to maintaining steady employment, family stability, and overall well-being. In our work to open up opportunities for those who are justice-involved, we have seen that improving housing opportunities is vital to reducing violence in Chicago.
In the past month, members of READI Chicago testified at a Just Housing Cook County Board hearing. Englewood outreach worker Reality Lovett shared that he has been denied housing more than 15 times because of his criminal record, while Englewood Community Project Manager Marlon Chamberlain testified on the ways that denying housing bars returning citizens from moving forward with their lives.
“When do our wrongs end, and our rights begin?” Marlon asked of the board. “How many resilient men and women rehabilitate themselves in prison, only to face rejection upon their release? Our participants in READI Chicago face many challenges regarding housing because of their record, barring them from being successful in the future.”
While eliminating policies and legal barriers is critical to addressing housing and its effect on recidivism, Heartland Alliance’s Research & Policy division is also working to help landlords and housing providers understand how criminal records impact housing accessibility and what providers can do to mitigate these impacts.
Almost five million adults—50 percent of the population—in Illinois are estimated to have an arrest or conviction record. Because criminal history checks are a typical part of housing applications, many people with records are denied these opportunities that are foundational for employment success, family stability, and preventing recidivism.
“Win-Win: Equipping Housing Providers to Open Doors to Housing for People with Criminal Records” is a guide for landlords and housing providers about the use of criminal records in screening and housing applicants and what they can do to increase housing opportunities for people who have been justice-involved.
Certain forms of housing assistance, such as Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, are not available to people with criminal records. These individuals can’t even move in with family members that receive housing assistance. In addition to barriers to simply gaining housing, the report also found that housing providers report that tenants are quick to blame resident issues on the residents with records. Affordable housing providers frequently face resistance from neighbors or community organizations that do not want affordable housing in their neighborhood, typically out of fear or prejudice about the tenants of affordable housing.
“You need to be willing to give these guys an opportunity—that’s what I’m doing, I’m taking a chance on them,” said Melvin, a landlord in Englewood who recently began renting to two READI Chicago participants. “I myself am a recovering addict, and I put my life back together and got through recovery. If there’s any way I can share some of my experience and give someone else a chance, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
