Vera Institute of Justice Webinar - Protecting the Fair Housing Rights of People with Criminal Records

Thursday Apr 28, 2016 - 02:00pm to 03:30pm EDT
Event Description: 

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. 

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, including the Shriver Center’s 2015 report that HUD offered as a resource to public housing authorities. This webinar 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 
● 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

Organizer Information
Program Areas: 
Groups audience: 
- Private group -