Too often, a criminal record merits an automatic exclusion from many places, jobs, housing, and even volunteering. The rationale is that it will make society safer to exclude “criminals.” More than a third of Americans have a criminal record. Continuing to punish people who have paid their debt to society with their incarceration through housing discrimination is bad for everyone.
RHLS joins affordable housing advocates everywhere in urging landlords and policymakers to adopt inclusive policies and create programs that will allow returning citizens to live and thrive in our communities. Director of Community Development Initiatives Cindy Daley and Policy Analyst Vanessa Raymond-Garcia have addressed these thorny issues in their report “Rebuilding Lives on the Foundation of a Stable Home: Best Practices for Expanding Housing Options for People with Criminal Records”.
We hope that you will download and read this report on the many ways in which organizations around the country have implemented successful policies and supportive service housing programs.
In addition to the report itself, RHLS has made flyers that include some tips both for landlords and potential tenants on how to rent with a criminal record. Having a criminal record should not be the end of the conversation between a landlord and a potential tenant.
Download the tenant flyer with tips on how to apply for a rental despite a criminal record.
Landlords can safely rent to applicants with a criminal record, find out more here.