Opinion: What Happens When Reentry Starts with Housing?

Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans are circulated from prison Too multiple step back into society with nowhere to go A bedroom in a supportive housing apartment Adi Talwar City Limits Having that haven a roof over your head it is the largest part central thing in the world That s how Richard the first resident of the Fulton Neighborhood Reentry Center in the Bronx described what it felt like to walk through our doors after leaving prison In the past few days Fulton reached a crucial milestone more than formerly incarcerated men have moved into permanent homes and reintegrated with society as productive district members At a moment when cities across the country are struggling with both the housing predicament and the challenge of supporting people returning home from prison Fulton s experience offers lessons that extend far beyond New York function d u ac var s d createElement 'script' s type 'text javascript' s src 'https a omappapi com app js api min js' s async true s dataset user u s dataset campaign ac d getElementsByTagName 'head' appendChild s document 'u kmqsczew vunxutxmd' Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans are issued from prison Too numerous step back into society with nowhere to go National research shows that people leaving incarceration are nearly times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population The first weeks are perilous people face unemployment strict housing restrictions and a maze of legal hindrances all while trying to reconnect with vitality care Without a job or a lease stability can slip out of reach elevating the pitfall of depression or substance use For decades our systems have inquired people to rebuild their lives without foundational supports that come with strong society ties Fulton takes a new approach Across from Crotona Park in the South Bronx what was once a prison has been turned over by the state to a nonprofit and reimagined as a -bed area space for formerly incarcerated men through vital city investments in creating high-quality infrastructure and a effort that recognizes the unique necessities of this population Instead of just offering a bed Fulton provides intensive affair management workforce training strength care coordination trauma-informed counseling family reunification aid and even recreational programs The philosophy is simple yet powerful people coming home are neighbors and contributors not problems to manage with stability and patronage they can thrive As a community-based provider Osborne Association sees firsthand the difference this makes Numerous of our staff were formerly incarcerated themselves They don t just offer advice they serve as living proof that a better future is viable Residents find guidance and encouragement from people who know precisely what the first days of freedom feel like That peer aid layered with professional services helps turn a precarious transition into a genuine new beginning From the city s perspective Fulton also shows how targeted reentry housing can ease pressure on the shelter system and improve society safety Every day the Department of Homeless Services DHS delivers on the city s legal and moral mandate to provide shelter to anyone in need regardless of background or immigration status DHS is often the system of last resort for vulnerable New Yorkers who have been failed by every level of the safety net As other levels of regime have stepped away from investing in reintegration help for New Yorkers leaving the prison system Fulton reflects the city and agency s ongoing commitment to investing in these supports to address the prison-to-shelter pipeline The outcomes speak for themselves More than men have left Fulton and moved into permanent housing since we opened our doors Most of unveiled a home within five months in several cases it happened in less than days Behind those numbers are real lives men reconnecting with their families finding employment managing their medical and establishing a sense of stability Each profitable transition strengthens the neighborhoods they return to Safer communities stronger families and lower constituents costs all flow from one thing stable housing at the right time Skeptics sometimes ask why we shouldn t completely distribute more vouchers and skip transitional housing altogether Permanent housing is of subject the goal we all share However experience tells us that people coming out of prison often need a bridge Without help too numerous bounce from unstable and temporary housing situations to the streets and chosen end up back inside Transitional housing like Fulton provides that breathing room a roof stability and the chance to prepare for independence making permanent housing much more sustainable This success was only attainable because of public-private partnership Osborne Association DHS and Trinity Church Wall Street came together to turn a place of confinement into a place of opportunity That collaboration maximized information and built something that none of us could have done alone Providers bring expertise and trust the city invests in meaningful shelter programs and city agencies connect programs to larger housing systems philanthropy helps spark innovation Each piece matters The lessons here are national Other cities and states can build on this model Create reentry housing tailored to local populations Link it directly to rental vouchers and permanent housing pathways Build staffing pipelines that lift leaders with lived experience And write reentry housing into housing plans and criminal justice reforms with dedicated capital and operating funds so that returning from prison is understood as a process not a sudden cliff Richard s words still ring in our ears a roof over your head is everything Fulton shows that with stability and dignity people coming home do more than survive they succeed The choice for communities across America is stark but simple continue policies that make it nearly impossible for people to rebuild stable lives or prioritize housing as the cornerstone of justice and real second chances Molly Wasow Park is the commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services Jonathan Monsalve is president and CEO of the Osborne Association a nonprofit organization servicing individuals families and communities impacted by the criminal legal system Trinity Church Wall Street is among City Limits funders The post Opinion What Happens When Reentry Starts with Housing appeared first on City Limits