When someone has been convicted of a crime and has paid their debt to society, then they ought to have an effective second chance in life. The ability to find housing is an indispensable part of that second chance. HUD Secretary Julián Castro
In 2015, the Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable undertook the task of assessing the criminal background screening policies of local publicly subsidized housing. This report is the result of that research and it provides an overview of the Roundtable’s findings and recommendations to inform policymakers, housing industry professionals, and other community leaders in better protecting the fair housing rights and overcoming barriers to housing for persons with criminal backgrounds in Austin and Travis County.
The report reviews legal precedent and regulatory actions relating to fair housing for persons with criminal backgrounds, summarizes criminal background policies from area affordable housing properties, highlights promising practices, and recommends an approach and specific actions to move the local conversation forward.
Please review the report and join us in promoting housing policies that protect the fair housing rights of people with criminal records to ensure, in the words of HUD Secretary Julián Castro, that “families who pose no risk to community safety aren’t unduly punished.”
Read the full report here.