Join NLIHC’s next Tenant Talk Live! – a webinar with and for residents and resident leaders – today, August 2 at 6 pm ET (5 pm CT, 4 pm MT, and 3 pm PT) to learn about fair housing for tenants with a conviction history.
During next week’s Tenant Talk Live! webinar, we will discuss the intersection of housing and the justice system. NLIHC recently surveyed residents in our network about topics of interest for future webinars, and many raised the issue of fair housing for people with conviction histories. NLIHC’s Winter 2020 Tenant Talk publication, “The Path to Housing During Reentry,” discussed many of the challenges facing people involved with the criminal justice system when attempting to find housing. Some of the barriers to housing include tenant screening, long lookback periods, and nuisance-abatement ordinances. Additionally, criminalization of homelessness continues the revolving door of criminal justice and housing insecurity. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, “Formerly incarcerated people are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public.” Resident leaders continue to advocate for innovative solutions against harmful policies that prevent successful reentry to housing.
The webinar will discuss housing challenges, organizing strategies, and opportunities for change. Tenant Talk Live! is also an opportunity for renters to share their experiences and identify opportunities to make change in their communities. NLIHC Housing Advocacy Organizers Olivia Arena and Sidney Betancourt will be joined by Maria Moon, a housing justice organizer for the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance who fought for the Just Housing Amendment to the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance. For their efforts, the Just Housing Initiative received NLIHC’s 2020 Local Organizing Award. Jacqueline Altamirano Marin from the Vera Institute of Justice Center on Sentencing and Corrections Opening Doors to Public Housing Initiative will join the call to discuss how public housing agencies are reducing barriers to housing. Laura Johnson, director of program development for Sponsors, Inc., will describe practical strategies the organization has learned in recent years in efforts to overcome barriers to housing access. At the end of the webinar, NLIHC staff members will provide policy and Emergency Rental Assistance updates.
NLIHC is committed to connecting and engaging with resident leaders in new, robust ways. If you are a low-income resident and have a topic you would like to propose or if you want to be a speaker on an upcoming call/webinar, email: [email protected]
To stay up to date with Tenant Talk Live! events, join our Facebook group!
Register for Tenant Talk Live! at: https://bit.ly/361rmy2