Promoting Housing Opportunities for Qualified Individuals with Criminal Records

LAC also advocates with local housing agencies and others to expand opportunities for people with criminal records who do not present a risk or threat to safety.   

Many of the policies that housing authorities or private landlords use to exclude people with conviction records are overly restrictive, effectively denying housing to people who pose no threat to the public, tenants or property. Oftentimes the policies are based on a misunderstanding of federal law, or on the landlord placing a premium on ease of administration, believing that it's easier to "just say no" to all people with conviction records than to perform individualized analyses of their applications. These polices should be changed. With greater education and targeted advocacy, these policies can, be changed.

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