Reducing Barriers to Housing

Banned from NYCHA Tabling

The Institute partnered with CUNY Law School students and the Fortune Society to help Fortune clients complete NYCHA’s new applications to lift permanent exclusion.

The stigma of incarceration follows people who have been involved in the criminal legal system long after they return to their communities. Too often, previously incarcerated individuals are denied housing, one of the most basic of needs, because of their conviction histories. They face a range of obstacles that put stable housing out of reach, from discrimination in the private housing market to a lack of affordable housing. These injustices call for changes in our structures, systems, and institutions.

Our housing policy reform efforts focus on:

  1. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) policies that seek to evict or exclude individuals who have been arrested, and
  2. Reducing criminal background check barriers to affordable and market-rate housing.

Relevant Resources: