Home is the cornerstone from which people build better lives for themselves and their families. People with criminal records, like everyone else, deserve a place to call home.

Please join the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law for a conversation on the importance of ensuring access to affordable housing for individuals with criminal records. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued game-changing guidancethat clarifies that criminal records screening of tenants may violate the civil rights of racial minorities who are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.

HUD’s new guidance has set the stage for continued advocacy and litigation to pursue implementation of just housing policies and practices for individuals with criminal records in both federally subsidized housing and the private market. However, recent changes in the political landscape may affect advocacy strategies moving forward. Please join us to learn more about this important issue and the road forward.

Panelists will include:

·  Daryl Atkinson, a renowned advocate for the safe and successful reintegration of individuals returning home from incarceration and a founding member of the North Carolina Second Chance Alliance

·  Kate Walz, Director of Housing Justice and Director of Litigation at the Shriver Center

·  Marie Claire Tran-Leung, a Staff Attorney at Shriver Center and author of When Discretion Means Denial: A National Perspective on Criminal Records Barriers to Federally Subsidized Housing.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016
6:00 – 7:30 pm
Ogilvy Public Relations
1111 19th Street NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20036

Register now for this free event

The Fortune Society, The Supportive Housing Network of New York, and CSH, will convene at John Jay College of Criminal Justice for “Excluded: A Dialogue on Safe, Affordable, and Supportive Housing for people with Justice System Involvement,” an all-day event dedicated to exploring and discussing the obstacles people with justice involvement face in their attempts to find housing.

Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Student Dining Hall
524 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

To Register, visit: www.fortunesociety.org/excluded2016  

Millions of Americans—a disproportionate number of whom are people of color—have criminal records that can be a barrier to housing. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued groundbreaking guidance stating that admission denials, evictions, and other adverse housing decisions based on a person’s criminal record may constitute racial discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.

Since its release, advocates, housing providers, and others affected by the guidance have come forward with questions such as:

·         What type of housing actions does the guidance apply to?

·         How can I assess whether a criminal record policy is discriminatory?

Join the Shriver Center and officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a webinar on October 26th to learn answers to these and other pressing questions. The webinar will feature an overview of the guidance, an interview with a HUD official, and a live Q&A session including questions from attendees.

This webinar supplements the Shriver Center’s April 2016 webinar, which focused primarily on federally subsidized housing providers.

Presenters:

·         Tonya Robinson, Acting General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, HUD

·         Michelle Aronowitz, Deputy General Counsel for Enforcement and Fair Housing

·         Casey Weissman-Vermeulen, Trial Attorney, Fair Housing Enforcement Division, Office of General Counsel, HUD

·         Marie Claire Tran-Leung, Staff Attorney, Housing Justice, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

Wednesday, October 26, 2016
2:00-3:00 pm ET / 11:00-12:00 PT

Register for this free event.

Hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness

People returning to the community from jail or prison, or those who have criminal records, often face numerous barriers to securing safe, stable, affordable housing. Learn how homeless service providers can develop more effective partnerships with the criminal justice system and better serve people who are experiencing homelessness or those at risk.

• Mary Owens, Management and Policy Analyst, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
• Madeline Neighly, Senior Policy Advisor, CSG Justice Center
• Alix McLearen, PhD, Administrator, Female Offender Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons
• Marcus Dawal, Deputy Chief, and Craig Emmons, Division Director, Adult Field Services Alameda County Probation Department
• Wendy Jackson, Executive Director, East Oakland Community Project (EOCP)

Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 2–3:30 p.m. EST

Link to powerpoint slides and recording of the webinar

More than 2 million adults are incarcerated in American jails and prisons on any given day, and 4.7 million are on probation or parole. Many of them have a chronic health condition, mental health problem, or substance dependence. The Affordable Care Act offers opportunities to improve the quality of and access to health care for individuals involved in the criminal justice system.

We’ll talk about these opportunities in our next episode of the Advocacy Exchange, our monthly live video conversation with advocates advancing change. Join Jennie Sutcliffe of the Shriver Center,Sarah Somers of the National Health Law Program, and Katy Welter of Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice as we discuss the intersection of the Affordable Care Act and the criminal justice system, including eligibility for health insurance programs, points in the justice system to assess health care options, and advocacy opportunities.

Wednesday, September 14
1:00 to 1:30 Eastern / 10:00 to 10:30 Pacific

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS FREE EVENT.

Congress is poised to bring a number of proposed changes to the federal criminal justice system to the House floor for votes in September. Please join us for a dynamic discussion with staff from national faith based organizations as we share our perspective on what constitutes meaningful criminal justice reform.

Featured speakers:
» Kara Gotsch, Director of Advocacy, Interfaith Criminal Justice Coalition
» Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
» Lucas Swanepoel, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Catholic Charities USA
» José S. Woss, Legislative Associate for Domestic Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation

Please arrive 15 minutes early with a valid government ID to be admitted. (Food and beverages are not permitted in the Capitol Complex.)

For more information or to RSVP, email: dbrandyberry@umc-gbcs.org

A CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING FOR MEMBERS AND STAFF

Each year in the United States, millions of individuals return to their communities after being released from state and federal prisons and local jails. For the reentry population, access to stable, safe, and affordable housing is crucial to ensure these individuals can get back on their feet and turn their lives around. Housing provides a platform for positive outcomes for the formerly incarcerated, their communities, and their families. Unfortunately, barriers to housing often prevent many from having a second chance after serving their time and increase the likelihood of recidivism and homelessness.

Please join a panel discussion exploring why we must ensure the reentry population has access to decent affordable homes, the barriers to housing those individuals continue to face, and current efforts to revisit and reform policies that have worked to exclude people with criminal records from federally subsidized housing.

Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Cashauna Hill, Executive Director, Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
JoAnne Page, President and CEO, Fortune Society
Daryl Atkinson, Second Chance Fellow, Department of Justice

Please RSVP by June 23rd at noon to PolicyIntern@nlihc.org

Hosted by the National Reentry Resource Center

People returning to the community from jail or prison often face numerous barriers to securing stable, affordable housing. Many formerly incarcerated individuals are not able to return to families. Landlords are frequently unwilling to rent to anyone with a criminal record, especially for certain offenses. Access to public housing is also limited for many people returning from incarceration. Additionally, other collateral consequences of incarceration—such as trouble finding employment—can negatively impact someone’s chances of finding stable housing.

Accessing stable, affordable housing is vital to successful reentry. The correlation between homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system is stark. Individuals experiencing homelessness are more likely to be arrested than those who are stably housed. People with criminal records are more likely to become homeless than those without. Those who exit jail or prison to emergency shelters or the streets are more likely to re-offend. This relationship between homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system is frequently complicated by mental and behavioral health concerns.

• Maureen Richey, policy analyst, The Council of State Governments Justice Center
• Kim Keaton, Senior Program Manager, Government Affairs & Innovation, CSH      
• Jayme Day, Director for Individual Homeless Adults, National Alliance to End Homelessness
• Mary Owens, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

Video of webinar