How to Free a Butterfly: The Impact of Fair Chance Housing Ordinances on the Housing Outcome of System-Impacted Black Individuals

Housing stability is a major problem for individuals leaving jail or prison. Without stable housing, these individuals face an elevated risk of becoming reincarcerated. There are 11 cities, 2 counties, and 2 states that have implemented Fair Chance Housing policies to help expand housing opportunities for people with histories of criminal legal system involvement. The proposed research project will  investigate the effectiveness of Fair Chance Housing policies in promoting housing stability among individuals with prior convictions, with a particular focus on potential racial disparities in housing outcomes. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, the investigator will conduct a secondary data analysis to compare housing outcomes before and after the implementation of Fair Chance Housing laws, using comparable jurisdictions that do not have Fair Chance Housing laws as the comparison sites. These sites will be chosen using propensity score matching, which will allow for the selection of control sites that closely resemble the treatment sites in terms of key characteristics such as demographics and proportion of residents with criminal legal system contact. By employing propensity score matching, the study aims to minimize selection bias and ensure a more accurate assessment.
    The research questions guiding this study are: 1) Do Fair Chance Housing policies improve housing outcomes for individuals with past convictions? 2) Do these policies impact housing outcomes differently across racial groups of individuals with past convictions? 3) Do Fair Chance Housing policies improve housing outcomes for the general Black population? By addressing these questions, the study aims to provide insights into the effectiveness of Fair Chance Housing policies and potential racial differences in their impact. These findings will offer valuable information for policymakers, advocates, and communities striving for fair reforms in both the criminal legal system and housing policies. The work products will include a dissertation, three peer-reviewed articles, and policy briefs. The plan of dissemination includes publication of research articles in peer-reviewed journals, presentation of findings at conferences within the fields of criminology, social work, and public policy, and creation of policy briefs targeted at policymakers in each relevant jurisdiction. CA/NCF