Public Housing Eligibility for People with Conviction Histories

Niloufer Taber
Jacqueline Altamirano Marin
John Bae
Vera Institute of Justice

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the official positions or policies of the Office of Policy Development and Research, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the U.S. Government

Housing is a basic need for all people, but one that is too often denied for those who have a conviction history because of policies that exclude this population from renting or joining a lease. This study estimates the number of people in Michigan and Oklahoma who are potentially excluded from public housing and who may regain public housing eligibility if public housing authorities (PHAs) change the time a conviction history can be considered for admissions decisions, commonly known as a lookback period. Results show that more than 3.5 percent of all adult Michiganders and 7.6 percent of all adult Oklahomans are potentially excluded from public housing. These percentages are low estimates for both states due to the study’s simplified assumptions and the omission of the impact that such rules have on family members of people with a conviction history.