NLIHC is circulating an organizational sign-on letter supporting HUD’s efforts to decrease barriers to HUD-assisted housing for formerly incarcerated or convicted people and their families. The letter, closing on June 9, is open to all national, state, local, and tribal organizations.
The sign-on is in response to HUD’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), “Reducing Barriers to HUD-Assisted Housing,” which proposes updates to HUD’s existing screening regulations for applicants who have conviction histories or a history of involvement with the criminal-legal system. The deadline for comments to HUD is June 10.
While the organizational sign-on letter expresses broad support for HUD’s efforts, it does not make recommendations to HUD for improving or implementing the NPRM. NLIHC will be submitting our own comment letter with recommendations, and we are calling on organizations and advocates – especially advocates with lived experience – to comment in support of the NPRM and share their insights and recommendations.
Advocates can weigh-in with HUD by:
- Submitting a comment. Participating in the public comment period is a great way to influence federal policymaking. After the public comment period ends, HUD must review and take into consideration all comments before publishing a final rule.
Your comment can be long or short, written formally or informally, based on research or your own experiences and the experiences of people you know. Consider answering questions like:
- What are some of the biggest challenges you/your clients have faced trying to find housing?
- How many apartments did you/your client apply for before finding your/their current housing?
- Have you/Has your client been able to find stable housing, and what has the impact been?
- How have these barriers impacted your friends/family members/community?
- Using the comment portal from the Vera Institute for Justice (Vera). Vera created a comment portal where advocates can submit comments in support of the proposed rule. The portal includes a template with a pre-written message that advocates can submit as-is, or update with their own content. While all positive messages help, to be fully considered by HUD, comments must be at least 30% original content.
The Fortune Society, Fair Share Housing Center, and Drug Policy Alliance will be hosting a webinar, “Screened Out: How the Biden Administration Can Open Doors to Housing for Justice-Involved People and Their Families,” on May 30 at 3:00 - 4:30pm ET to talk about the NPRM, its potential impact, and ways advocates can get involved. Register for the webinar here.
NLIHC will continue to update our website with additional resources and information.
View the proposed rule and submit a public comment here.
Learn more about the proposed rule here.