Big news came out of Oakland recently as the city unearthed a way to give ex-cons a better chance at finding housing after their release. The Fair Chance Housing Ordinance, which the City Council passed unanimously Tuesday evening, will forbid landlords from denying a potential tenant because of a prior criminal conviction. Oakland moved to become the first city in the state to ban landlords from investigating the criminal history of renters applying for both public and private housing. Landlords will not be permitted to ask about an applicant’s criminal history or require the applicant to disclose it through a background check. This is a huge deal because it allows those who have been incarcerated the ability to reintegrate back into society, hold down a job, and provide for their families, instead of adding to Oakland’s growing homeless population.
Of course, the question of safety is brought up—but it’s important to understand that it doesn’t take a violent crime to be denied housing. You can be denied housing for multiple non-violent offenses. Currently, background checks are a standard part of applying for rental housing, and applicants with a criminal record are oftentimes denied. That can make it nearly impossible for those who have been incarcerated to find a place to live, especially in the Bay Area’s ruthless housing market. Some exemptions of the Fair Chance Housing Ordinance are single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes and in-law units if the owner is living on the property. There is also a partial exemption for owners of government-subsidized affordable housing, including Section 8 units, allowing them to continue to use criminal background checks to the extent needed to comply with federal law. Apart from the exemptions, landlords will still have access to potential tenants’ credit reports, references and employment information, all the things they truly need to see if they’d make a suitable tenant.
A criminal record can prevent those who have been incarcerated or charged with a crime from finding housing, which makes it that much more difficult to reintegrate back into society. The system is at war with those in the system and Oakland has made an amazing change to its policy. The Fair Chance Housing Ordinance will give ex-cons the housing opportunity they currently lack after incarceration and help reduce Oakland’s homeless population. Hopefully, it won’t be long until more cities follow behind Oakland. But for now, your criminal record will likely continue to hold you back in the housing department. At Easy Expunctions, we offer free background checks so that you know exactly what’s currently on your record. We also work directly with you to expunge qualifying charges so you can have a clean record and a better life. Visit www.easyexpunctions.com to explore our affordable packages that can help you ace all of your background checks.
