Goldman, Barragán Introduce Legislation to Secure Housing and Supportive Services For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Nanette Barragán (CA-44) introduced the Returning Home Act (H.R. 2994), legislation that aims to help individuals returning to their communities from incarceration access supportive services and secure stable housing.
Nearly 2 million Americans, including 59,000 New Yorkers, are currently in prisons and jails, and nearly 80 million Americans have a conviction or arrest history. Upon their release, formerly incarcerated individuals often face significant barriers to stable housing, including limited financial means, weakened relationships, and discrimination in the housing market. As a result, they are at heightened risk of homelessness, which in turn increases their likelihood of re-incarceration, as people who experience homelessness are 11 times more likely to be arrested again. This bill would help to break this cycle by establishing a grant program for public entities and community organizations to create demonstration projects that provide housing and other supportive services for formerly incarcerated individuals.
“True public safety and a fair justice system depend on ensuring that individuals returning to our communities have the foundation they need to succeed, starting with a roof over their heads,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “The Returning Home Act is a common-sense solution that breaks the vicious cycle of recidivism by providing stable housing, stipends, and critical supportive services to those who have served their time. We know that homelessness makes a person eleven times more likely to be re-arrested, and this bill addresses that crisis head-on by strengthening our neighborhoods and empowering families. By prioritizing stable housing, we are making a smart investment in rehabilitation that will build a safer, more just and more prosperous future for all.”
“Stable housing can mean a stable life, but this is often not possible for the tens of millions of Americans across the country who are returning to their communities,” said Congresswoman Nanette Barragán. “Those returning to their communities have served their time, but they often face discrimination and unequal access to the resources they need to start over. The bill addresses this disparity and seeks to close the gap by specifically establishing funding and various supportive services to help our formerly incarcerated individuals secure stable housing. Together, we can break the ongoing cycles of homelessness and incarceration and build a future where everyone can live in a safer and more equal society.”
"People with conviction histories face barriers when trying to secure housing. This lack of housing impacts public safety and contributes to the cyclical relationship between housing insecurity and criminal legal system involvement,” said John Bae, director of the Opening Doors initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice. “We commend Representatives Nanette Barragan and Dan Goldman for investing in long-term sustainable solutions to secure housing for individuals returning from incarceration.”
"The Returning Home Act, which would establish demonstration projects for housing justice-affected people returning from incarceration and authorize funding for rental assistance, housing stabilization services and financial stipends to families housing family members returning from incarceration, would be a significant step forward in reducing and preventing homelessness among people attempting to re-enter society," said Steve Berg, Chief Policy Officer, National Alliance to End Homelessness.
“The Fortune Society is grateful for the leadership of Representatives Nanette Barragán and Dan Goldman on the Returning Home Act. For nearly six decades, The Fortune Society has been at the forefront of supporting people returning from incarceration by providing a range of vital reentry services and supports, now serving over 18,000 people annually. We established housing for our participants over twenty years ago because it was clear that the people we served desperately needed safe, stable, and affordable housing, to have the necessary foundation to reliably access any needed treatment, reunite with family, and secure and maintain employment. Establishing the Reentry Rental Assistance and Housing Services Grant Program through this legislation is critical to advancing collective public safety in the face of our ongoing national housing crisis and serves as a meaningful investment in the dignity and humanity of formerly incarcerated people. Everyone deserves a home,” said Stanley Richards, President and CEO, The Fortune Society.
Key provisions of the Returning Home Act include:
$100 million annually under the Adult and Juvenile Offender State and Local Reentry Demonstration Projects of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, specifically for housing assistance and services.
Up to 24 months of rental assistance, prioritizing programs using a housing-first approach.
Funding for supportive services, including pre-release planning, housing placement, and housing stabilization assistance.
Ability for applicants to provide stipends to families housing returning individuals and financial incentives for landlords.
Spending requirements: at least 60% on rental assistance and no more than 15% on landlord incentives.
The legislation is endorsed by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Voice of the Experienced, Voters Organized to Educate, Vera Institute, FICPFM, National Homelessness Law Center, and the Fortune Society.
Reps. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), James McGovern (MA-02), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) are original sponsors of the bill.
Rep. Goldman is a longstanding advocate for criminal justice reform. He is a member of the Second Chance Task Force, a bipartisan group of representatives that promotes policies that improve reentry outcomes and reduce employment barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals. He leads the Prioritizing Resources for Outreach, Safety, Violence Prevention, Youth Empowerment and Resilience (PROSPER) Act, legislation that would invest in community-based organizations that focus on gun violence intervention and prevention. In 2023, Goldman cosponsored the Clean Slate Act to automatically seal federal arrest records for individuals not convicted and records for individuals convicted of low-level, nonviolent drug offenses. He has also repeatedly condemned the Trump Administration for cancelling grants for gun violence prevention and mental health crisis response, as well as the administration’s policies on the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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