Let's not make it more difficult for the homeless to find supportive housing - The Dallas Morning News

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Homelessness is pernicious. Life on the streets erodes personal dignity and worsens mental health issues and drug dependencies.

This is the reason advocates for the homeless stress the importance of policies that get people off of the streets and into housing where they can receive services and support. And that’s why we think the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs should revise a proposed policy change that could make it tougher for those who are homeless and have criminal records to find housing and rehab services.

The issue is an addition to a section of the annual document that is used to set the ground rules for developers who apply for favorable low-income housing tax credits to build housing with intensive coordinated services for the homeless.

The current draft includes overly broad language that doesn’t do enough to distinguish between the types of criminal offenses in a person’s past that could block them from supportive housing.

For example, the draft would require developers to deny applicants for at least two years if they have been convicted of nonviolent felonies. The problem with that is many homeless people rack up nonviolent felony and misdemeanor offenses. Common offenses such as possession of small amounts of marijuana or criminal trespass could block them from supportive housing.

Depending on the severity of the offense, a homeless person could be denied housing for several years or permanently denied access. And the draft language urges, but does not require, housing owners and developers to consider a supportive letter from a case manager, proof of time in rehab or other mitigating factors.

The nation is in a housing crisis. Right now, affordable housing for low-income workers is in short supply, and landlords of market-rate apartments cannot be required to accept proof of income statements or income vouchers. People who are homeless face an even higher bar and our concern is that the screening requirements could shut off an opportunity for people who have a nonviolent offense in their past to get off and stay off of the streets.

The state is right to set minimum qualification standards to promote safe supportive housing. However, the rules must not create unintended consequences that could work against the goal of reducing homelessness. Living without stable housing can drastically worsen health, exacerbate mental illness, increase substance abuse and spawn other crises. This draft should be revised before the department sends it to Gov. Greg Abbott for final approval. One key fix is to make sure that developers accept reasonable proof that homeless people are trying to make improvements in their lives and seriously and fairly evaluate the age of the offenses that would disqualify or delay approval for housing.

The best way to reduce homelessness is to make sure that those in despair have a way out.

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Let's not make it more difficult for the homeless to find supportive housing - The Dallas Morning News
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