Millions of Americans—a disproportionate number of whom are people of color—have criminal records that can be a barrier to housing. In celebration of National Reentry Week, the Shriver Center and the Vera Institute of Justice will host a webinar on April 28, 2016, on fair housing rights for people with criminal records.

The Shriver Center has long advocated for laws and policies that eliminate housing barriers for people with criminal records. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued groundbreaking guidance stating that admission denials, evictions, and other adverse housing decisions based on a person’s criminal record may constitute racial discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. HUD’s recent actions have made housing an important part of the national conversation on criminal justice reform.

Featuring the head of HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing, this webinar will give an overview of recent guidance issued by HUD. We will also cover examples of best practices across the country, such as a pilot program to reunite families in New York City and an innovative way of screening in New Orleans.

Presenters

• Introductory Remarks by HUD Secretary Julián Castro
• Lourdes Castro Ramirez, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing, HUD
• Margaret diZerega, Project Director, Center for Sentencing and Corrections, Vera Institute of Justice
• Marie Claire Tran-Leung, Staff Attorney, Housing Justice, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

Thursday, April 28, 2016
2:00-3:30 pm ET/11:00-12:30 pm PT

Register