CSH has partnered with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the Vera Institute of Justice to launch the Family Reunification Pilot Program (FRPP). The Pilot, launched last month [November 2013], will allow 150 former inmates to return home and reunite with their families after their release. Participants and their families will receive case management and support as they reconnect with their community. Through the pilot, we will improve access to existing housing resources for the reentry population in NY and support family reunification.
People with criminal records have in the past been barred from public housing nationally. In New York, these restrictions have lasted up to six years based on their offense. With the support of HUD, communities have been focusing on effective ways to help people released from prison to reunite with their families and communities in public housing. “Research shows [this] approach strengthens families and enhances safety in communities,” said NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea. “The Family Re-entry Program not only will reunite families but strengthen NYCHA and surrounding communities by providing a path for people to come out of the shadows and become stable, productive members of society.”
CSH is working closely with the NYC Department of Homeless Services, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and ten reentry service and housing providers to ensure that participants and their families have the case management and support that they need. If the pilot is effective, it will have policy implications that could potentially expand access to the 175,000 units of NYCHA housing and demonstrate a model for public housing authorities nationwide.
Recent Press Coverage:
Ban on Former Inmates in Public Housing is Eased | NY Times | 11.14.13
