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.

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.

Change is possible

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.