More than 11,400 people registered for the Homelessness and Housing First webinar on June 12 hosted by NLIHC, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). The webinar, “Housing First Supports People Impacted by the Criminal Legal System,” examined the relationship between homelessness and mass incarceration, highlighted federal efforts to remove unnecessary barriers to housing for people with criminal records, and delved into state and local efforts to connect individuals impacted by the criminal legal system to housing and voluntary services using a Housing First approach.
NLIHC Policy Manager Kim Johnson moderated the webinar. In her opening remarks, she highlighted the vital importance of providing a safe, affordable home for people exiting incarceration and for those with conviction histories.
Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Homelessness, explained that Housing First programs are critical to successful reentry because they quickly meet an individual’s basic human need for a safe place to call home, and then provide them with an opportunity to choose to participate in life-changing services. Representative Barragán recently introduced the “Returning Home Act” (H.R.2994), which provides Housing First-oriented funding to governments and community organizations dedicated to breaking down barriers to housing for people who were formerly incarcerated.
Anna Bailey, senior policy analyst with CBPP, provided a brief overview of national incarceration trends, highlighting that people impacted by the criminal legal system are more likely to experience homelessness than the general public. Anna emphasized that the dramatic racial disparities in incarceration rates are driven by systemic racism and she noted the wide-ranging collateral consequences of incarceration. Anna also discussed how an increasing number of studies demonstrate that Housing First strategies can be highly effective at keeping people who were formerly incarcerated stably housed and helping them avoid future interaction with the criminal legal system.
Victoria Jennings, supportive housing analyst with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), spoke about two IHCDA Housing First programs that serve individuals who have been incarcerated: the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program’s Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) component, and a permanent supportive housing program currently in the planning stages. IHCDA’s Housing First program, which began about 15 years ago, has resulted in the development of 52 projects with more than 1,500 units that end homelessness for about 275 Hoosiers each year.
Richard Cho, senior advisor for housing and services at HUD, discussed actions the Biden administration is taking to prioritize the housing needs of people impacted by the criminal legal system. HUD is in the process of developing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making which would prevent unnecessary denials of housing assistance to people with criminal history records by changing regulations governing public housing agencies and HUD-subsidized housing providers. As proposed, the new rule will send a clear message that nobody should be automatically denied access to HUD programs simply because they have a criminal record.
Veronica Lewis, director of the Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System (HOPICS) – one of the largest housing and homeless service providers in Los Angeles County – discussed HOPICS’ reentry housing programs. She explained how HOPICS operates in three major systems of care: reentry services, substance use disorder and other outpatient behavioral health services, and housing and homeless services. Veronica emphasized that Housing First is not “housing only” and spoke about the strategic partnerships HOPICS has developed to provide wraparound supports to clients.
Taylar Nuevelle, founder and executive director of Who Speaks for Me? (WSFM) in Washington, DC, spoke about her organization’s Housing for All pilot project, which provides housing, a weekly stipend, and connection to wraparound services to five returning individuals who identify as women and/or LGBTQ people. Taylar shared a video of Mary, the first participant in the Housing for All pilot, and discussed how WSFM applied for a housing voucher from the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and is now using the funds that would have been spent on rent to provide Mary with guaranteed income.
During the moderated discussion, panelists expanded on how their programs meet the unique needs of each individual, connect clients to voluntary wraparound services, and leverage partnerships to implement a coordinated reentry system.
In her closing remarks, NLIHC’s Kim Johnson shared how the “Housing Promotes Livelihood and Ultimate Success (PLUS) Act” (H.R.3405), recently reintroduced by Representative Andy Barr (R-KY), would undermine efforts to end homelessness.
Listen to a recording of the call and read presentation slides.
If you missed previous webinars on homelessness and Housing First, check out past webinar recaps, including links to the recordings and presentation slides.
The next webinar will be held on Monday, July 10 from 2:30 to 4:00 pm ET. Register for the series at: https://bit.ly/3vIbn5o
Read more about Housing First at: https://bit.ly/3vHf8YR