The Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response

Priorities from People with Incarceration Histories

About

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, old patterns are reasserting themselves with historically marginalized communities being left out of the planning and response process. These patterns have resulted in predictable gaps in the pandemic response that have left our most marginalized neighbors at unacceptable risk. There is a clear need for further guidance to local jurisdictions who are planning for the response and recovery of the pandemic, in order to ensure that the priorities of historically marginalized communities are centered in the response. 

The National Working Group on Historically Marginalized Communities  

The National Innovation Service (NIS) Center for Housing Justice team, along with other national leaders, started by creating a national working group on historically marginalized communities. The working group brings together a small group of national and local policy experts and advocates alongside direct service providers and people serving the communities most impacted by the pandemic. It includes representatives from mid-sized cities, rural areas, and denser cities. 

Listening Sessions

Population Specific Briefs 

After conducting the listening sessions, the NIS Center for Housing Justice created population-specific briefs to summarize the ideas of each of the ten communities and offer suggested actions that local jurisdictions can take in response to the concerns and priorities raised by people who are being marginalized. This document focuses on the concerns and priorities of People with Incarceration Histories participating in the listening session.  

The brief is organized around 4 categories:

1. Space

2. Stuff

3. Staff

4. Systems

The four categories are based off of Dr. Paul Farmer’s Space, Stuff, Staff, and Systems Framework, a regular theme for Farmer across his work to address global health crises. These four categories are used in this brief to identify and organize essential elements within what people are experiencing and how best to respond to these experiences. You can read more about his framework here.

Under each of the 4 categories there are two sections:

1. What we heard

2. What we should do

The what we heard section summarizes the direct response of the listening session with participants who identified with having incarceration histories. The what we should do section offers up suggested actions from the NIS Center for Housing Justice that local jurisdictions can take in response to the concerns and priorities raised by People with Incarceration Histories in the listening session.  

To download an interactive pdf of the information below, click here.

Space

• Eliminate background checks to secure housing. Make it easier to find and locate an apartment by banning the ability of landlords to screen out people with records and incarceration histories. Participants spoke of turn-aways and lack of call-backs after presenting housing applications. and even being kicked-out after having moved in when the background check came back with a record.

• Create explicit housing plans for people exiting jail and prison. Transitioning out of detention is even more difficult when you do not have a place to stay. People spoke of feeling stuck when they were released, and for that feeling to linger for several years because there are so many barriers that keep following you for years. People discussed experiencing hopelessness and fear as a result. 

• Address systemic barriers to accessing housing for people with incarceration histories. All Housing justice agendas must address the inherent biases within the housing system against people with histories of incarceration, understanding the systemic racism within the justice system that leads to a disproportionate amount of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color becoming incarcerated. Communities should use CDBG-CV dollars to invest in neighborhoods with high numbers of vacant houses or housing below code in order to create additional housing options for people experiencing homelessness and ESG-CV dollars to target rental assistance to members of marginalized communities to be used in the communities being revitalized and in any neighborhood of their choice. Simultaneously communities should end the decades-long practice of divesting in operating funds. Include long-term operating fund/reinvestment clauses in any new development occurring alongside CDBG-CV dollars. These investments would also allow communities to begin to think about alternative housing development and sustainability models and structures including affordable housing that is fully owned and operated by individuals and housing collectives in the community,  removing private landlords from the engagement.

Stuff

• Make it easier to obtain an ID before exiting jail or prison. Documents like proof of address and proof of residency are difficult to have when exiting an institution, and are necessary to obtain an ID if you do not have one, which is necessary to secure housing. People also spoke of increased wait times and difficulties getting IDs during the COVID-19 pandemic because of needing appointment times and high demand.

• Make it easier to get a job with a criminal record. Across the board participants discussed how hard it was trying to find work as a result of their records, especially work with benefits or that would fit into a career path. When you have a violent felony conviction, it further limits access to stable jobs. Most of the participants were open to any type of job, but as one participant explained that being a felon severely restricted  their choices and so a job with benefits would typically mean factory work. For one participant who had a job she expressed her difficulty with trying to keep her job as a result of the pandemic and her office being shut down which resulted in work being slow. 

• Address systemic barriers to employment for people with histories of incarceration and the ways they impact access to permanent housing. Meaningful employment for people with incarceration histories, particularly those with a felony history, can be the single biggest barrier to obtaining and retaining safe housing. Communities should consider utilizing CARES Act funds to help establish a system wide employment support program, designed and operated by people with incarceration histories. A employment program that specializes in building a network of business utilizing fair chance employment practices, improves access to skilled and high paying jobs, and offers training and financial incentives to individuals who need assistance in obtaining higher paying opportunities.  When targeting ESG-CV rental assistance to marginalized communities, such as people with incarceration histories, the models must consider the unique employment barriers these communities face and set flexible time limits on rental assistance.

Staff

• Give staff the ability to serve as a reference on housing and job applications. People spoke about relationships with PO’s and case managers that could be useful for the reference process. People talked about allowing staff to write letters of support.

• Create organizations run by formerly incarcerated people to support people experiencing homelessness. Justice-involved individuals spoke about the need for an entity to help represent them and build power to be able to access jobs and housing. It is important to have knowledge and experience of what it is like to face housing and job opportunities with a record. I would also be helpful to have people who can vouch for you and speak on your behalf.

• Build, support, and fund dignity-based services led by people with histories of incarceration and other communities most impacted by homelessness. As CARES Act dollars are used to develop new service delivery models, dignity-centered care and service delivery must become the standard across all services and systems. Dignity-centered care in this context means a holistic approach to addressing the systemic barriers faced by people with incarceration histories, including specialized employment services, assistance with obtaining government identification, legal advocacy, and a focus on creating social networks that can support re-entry. Communities should implement new performance management systems that prioritizes feedback from people who are experiencing homelessness, including those who have incarceration histories, routinely engage frontline staff in identifying policy barriers to serving individuals, and inform local and federal policy changes. 

Systems

• Remove law enforcement from interacting with people experiencing homelessness. The harm being done by police is ever present.  People spoke mainly of mistreatment by police while experiencing homelessness.  Although some talked about the helpfulness of having someone to call in an emergency when they were having a substance-involved crisis, this could be done by social workers or other crisis workers.  People spoke of the variance in treatment and not ever knowing what to expect. The conversation also linked the carceral ways of treating homelessness to the carceral ways of treating family disconnection that leads to young people who experience homelessness without their families and involvement in child welfare systems.

• Divest from policing, remove police from the homelessness response system, and invest a portion of the funds in housing and services to communities most impacted by police brutality. All across the country people are calling for immediate divestment from policing and corresponding investment into housing, healthcare, and basic services. People experiencing homelessness have consistently reported extremely high levels of unhelpful police engagement; this can be compounded by having a history of incarceration and heightened even more when aslo Black, Indigenous, or a non-Black Person of Color. As communities plan their CARES Act expenditures it’s clear that these dollars should not be used to fund policing activities--inclusive of ‘outreach’ teams that include police. Additionally, funds should be actively divested from policing and moved over to the creation of housing and of community supports that are well trained, employ people who have similar identities to those being served, and continually informed by those with lived experience.

Additional Briefs

• Introduction

  • Priorities from Asian Americans

  • Priorities from Black  People

  • Priorities from Latinx People

  • Priorities from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer (LGBQ)/Trans* People

  • Priorities from Native-Indigenous People

  • Priorities from Pacific Islanders 

  • Priorities from People Involved with Public Systems

  • Priorities from People Living with Disabilities 

• Top Priorities and Actions Across Communities

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities • National Alliance to End Homelessness 

National Innovation Service • National Healthcare for the Homeless Council 

National Low Income Housing Coalition • Urban Institute 

Barbara Poppe and associates • Matthew Doherty Consulting