cb11 presentation

8/2/2019 Cb11 Presentation

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Coming Home and No Place to Live:Understanding perceptions among publichousing residents about the reintegrationof formerly incarcerated individuals inthese locations

Harlem Community & Academic Partnership

Policy Work Group

www.hcapnyc.org

[email protected]


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Harlem Community and AcademicPartnership (HCAP)

A partnership of community residents, community-basedorganizations and service providers, academia, andpublic health institutions.

Roots in substance use and infectious disease andhard-to-reach populations

Use a Community-Based Participatory Research

(CBPR) approach to focus on identifyingwhat works

to effectively address the social determinants of health

to improve the health of East and Central Harlemresidents and other similar communities


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HCAP is committed to community-centered good healthand well-being for all residents. In pursuit of this goal, westrive to:

Identify Social Determinants of Health

Advocate for Community-centered public health initiatives

Implement Community-Based interventions to improve healthand well-being, using a Community-Based ParticipatoryResearch approach

Influence health policy formulation and implementation

Facilitate community and academic partnerships for researchand policy

HCAP Mission Statement


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HCAP Policy Work Group

Established in 2000 (the first Intervention Work Group)

Charged with examining broad policy barriers to reentry for recovering andactive drug users formerly incarcerated and returning back to in East andCentral Harlem.

Shifting Reentry from a Criminal Justice issues to a Public Health issue

Translating research into policy -> policy into practice

Composition of PWG initially led by community-oriented academic policy researcher who coached

the work group onthe policy analysis & advocacy (PA&A); currently all

members have the capacity for PA&A and equally lead

PWG work Current focus is on successful community reintegration of formerly

incarcerated individuals Conducted a CBPR study on perceptions of NYCHA residents on formerly

incarcerated individuals returning to community


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Why focus on this issue?

Housing instability is one of the major risk factors forrecidivism

Tremendous challenges faced by people returning to East

and Central Harlem and a lack of affordable housing

NYCHA is essentially only affordable option in the midst ofrising housing costs and gentrification, yet formerlyincarcerated individuals are denied access

We feel its extremely crucial to hear NYCHA tenantsvoices around this issue since they are one of the groupsmost affected by policies and practices


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http://www.hcapnyc.org/pubs/pwgreport1-housingandreintegrationineastandcentralharlemcominghomeandnoplacetolive


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http://www.hcapnyc.org/pubs/pwgreport2-

cominghomeandnoplacetoliveunderstandingperceptionsamongpublichousingresidentsaboutthereintegrationofformerlyincarceratedindividualstotheselocations


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Coming Home and No Place to Live: Understanding Perceptions amongPublic Housing Residents about the Reintegration of FormerlyIncarcerated Individuals to These Locations

1. General Awareness and Knowledge Among NYCHA ResidentsAbout How Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Access Housing

2. Sources of Information About Formerly Incarcerated IndividualsSeeking Housing

3. Perceived Barriers to Housing

4. Community Support for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals ToAccess Stable Housing

5. Solutions for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals To Find Housing


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1. General Awareness and Knowledge Among NYCHA ResidentsAbout How Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Access HousingNearly all participants reported being aware that people returningto the Harlem community from prison and jail had significantproblems finding affordable housing.

2. Sources of Information About Formerly IncarceratedIndividuals Seeking HousingParticipants described learning about how NYCHA prohibitsformerly incarcerated individuals from housing through formal and

informal means.

3. Perceived Barriers to HousingThe most overwhelming barrier expressed by the respondents isthe discharge planning/transitional services system.


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4. Community Support for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals ToAccess Stable HousingA form of selective tolerance emerged in the area of communitysupport. Respondents reported on a continuum for which type offormerly incarcerated individual they would accept or tolerate

living next to in their community.

5. Solutions for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals To FindHousingSolutions often centered on fixing the limitations, infrastructure,

and inadequacies of the housing system and to reevaluate howbudget resources drives policy formulation and implementation inthis system. The housing system is missing the human element.


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Its hard for a regular person to get housing, so let alone someonecoming home. They already stigmatize you as a criminal, so youreautomatically turned away.

For people that have family in NYCHA and they are wiling to letthem in and they are living under the radar (unknown to NYCHA),

once they found out, the entire family will be on the streets. All fordoing what family is supposed to do.

In NYC it

s all about location. The economy is crazy and rents aregoing up along with the land property. In the morning people aremeasuring the blocks in Harlem, because businesses are coming andproperty values are going up. Harlem is changing.


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Recommendations Based on CommunityResponse

Increase the use of treatment program slots and communityavailability for treatment

Address NYCHA system issues

Increase job training opportunities

Increase transitional and reentry support services

More affordable housing


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Policy Recommendations Based on theCommunity Response

Fund community-based organizations with Alternative ToIncarceration programs in communities impacted by highrecidivism rates

Fund community-driven job training programs

Ban the box on job applications that discriminatesindividuals with criminal justice record

Maintain the New York Prison-Based Gerrymandering Bill


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Necessity for a Holistic Solution

It is important to note that communities such as Eastand Central Harlem are often plagued with so manydifferent social problems that it is difficult to pullexplicit and freestanding solutions. The answer to

the problem of formerly incarcerated individualsfinding housing upon return is not simply, "find morehousing. This community has been persistentlymarginalized and affected by the issues of poverty,

which affect the daily lives of everyone withoutaddressing fair access to employment, education,and health care, housing becomes only one aspect ofthis problem.


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Thank you!Harlem Community & Academic Partnership

Policy Work Group

www.hcapnyc.org

[email protected]

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