The Vera Institute of Justice - Sub-grants for Safe Housing

The Vera Institute of Justice - Sub-grants for Safe Housing is sponsored by Vera Institute of Justice. Provides funding and technical assistance for organizations focused on housing stability for justice-involved individuals, including those in Florida.

Opening Doors to Housing Initiative | Vera Institute Vera Institute of Justice | Opening Doors to Housing Initiative Vera Institute of Justice Ending Mass Incarceration Ending Mass Incarceration Causes of Mass Incarceration About the problem, the history of mass incarceration, trends and statistics Criminalization and Racial Disparities Ending the criminalization of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty Drastically reducing the use of jails, prisons, and detention centers Centering dignity and minimizing the harms of criminal legal and immigration system involvement It's time to invest in the things that help communities thrive.

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Ending Mass Incarceration Ending Mass Incarceration Causes of Mass Incarceration Criminalization and Racial Disparities Advancing Universal Representation Ending Girls' Incarceration Justice in the Age of Trump // Investing in Communities Opening Doors to Housing Initiative A fair chance to come home Everyone deserves a place to call home. But for many people returning from jail or prison, a past conviction slams the door shut.

At Vera, we believe that a history with the criminal justice system shouldn’t mean a lifetime without housing. Stable housing is the foundation for a thriving life—family, work, community. That’s why Vera’s Opening Doors initiative works to remove housing barriers for people with conviction histories.

Our goal is to help people to return home and rebuild their lives without being locked out of opportunity—all while keeping communities safe. Increasing housing access from the ground up Since 2017, Vera has partnered with 22 public housing authorities (PHAs) across 12 states to facilitate changes to admissions policies and develop programs to reunite families with their loved ones exiting incarceration.

Vera’s work varied by location, but we’ve established core policy recommendations for PHA admissions , including: Shortening the timeframe that PHAs consider conviction histories to three years or less, so people aren't penalized for decades-old records. Screening applicants only for a limited number of convictions — and not for arrests. Ending one-strike policies that evict residents based on suspected drug use or criminal activity.

Instead, PHAs make residency decisions case-by-case. Allowing people on parole or probation to live in public housing. Building on years of technical assistance, Vera is now helping to pass laws in states like Maryland and Michigan to remove unfair barriers in the broader rental market for people with conviction histories.

While the laws vary by jurisdiction, common elements include: no blanket rejections, delayed background checks that occur after someone is approved for housing, and individualized reviews. By changing how landlords handle housing applications, Vera is helping to ensure a person’s future isn’t defined by their past.

Housing finance agencies and the push for equitable housing access Housing finance agencies (HFAs) fund and oversee affordable housing in states. In 2024, Vera began offering technical assistance to HFAs to create policies and programs that remove barriers in state-funded housing programs. By centering equity in housing finance, we’re helping states align their investments with fair chance housing principles.

"A history with the criminal justice system shouldn’t mean a lifetime without housing." The hidden costs of housing barriers Formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely than the general public to be unhoused, and this disparity is wider for Black people and other people of color.

Homelessness and housing instability increase the likelihood of future criminal justice system involvement, as unhoused people are more likely to interact with police and are 11 times more likely to be arrested than people with stable housing.

Access to stable and affordable housing substantially increases the likelihood that a person returning home from prison or jail will be able to receive family support, find a job, and avoid additional convictions. Formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely than the general public to be unhoused. Unhoused people are 11 times more likely to be arrested than people with stable housing.

Opening Doors is working to safely change policies that limit housing opportunities for people with conviction histories—and we’re seeing success. Alongside advocates, experts, and policymakers, Vera is committed to removing barriers to housing to ensure those impacted by our criminal justice system have real opportunities to reenter their communities and succeed.

Opening Doors to Affordable Housing The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and People with Conviction Histories Expanding Housing Access for People with Conviction Histories in Oklahoma Opening Doors, Returning Home How Public Housing Authorities Across the Country Are Expanding Access for People with Conviction Histories Expand housing access for people with conviction histories in Michigan Looking Beyond Conviction History Recommendations for Public Housing Authority Admissions Policies Safely Increasing Access to Public Housing for People with Conviction Histories Illinois Bill Makes History, Highlights Criminalization-to-Homelessness Pipeline An Evaluation of the New York City Housing Authority’s Family Reentry Pilot Program Lessons in Implementation Want to Make Communities Safer?

Make Sure People Coming Home from Jail and Prison Have a Place to Live. The United States Criminalizes People Who Need Health Care and Housing Released From Prison With No Place to Live Illinois Bill Makes History, Highlights Criminalization-to-Homelessness Pipeline Help us open doors for formerly incarcerated people Transformative change, sent to your inbox.