NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Bob Kappstatter 718-490-2960

NEW LEGISLATION SPURRED BY TESTIMONY AT

STATE ASSEMBLY HEARING MONDAY ON BARRIERS
EX-OFFENDERS FACE IN FINDING HOUSING
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ODonnell and Seplveda push State and City to expand

supportive housing units for the formerly incarcerated as a
needed part of broader anti-homelessness strategies
Ex-offenders released from prisons and jails face major barriers finding a place to live
a factor in recidivism experts testified at a joint State Assembly public hearing on
Monday, June 13.

The hearing was held by Assembly member Daniel J. ODonnell (D, Manhattan), Chair,
Committee on Correction, and Assembly member Luis Seplveda (D, Bronx), Chair,
Subcommittee on Transitional Services.

The hearing, held at 250 Broadway, was intended to hear recommendations on what
the city and state should do to expand availability of supportive housing units for ex-

offenders a vital and necessary component of state and city anti-homelessness

initiatives, said the legislators.
One outcome of the hearing was Seplvedas decision to introduce kinship legislation
that would set up a pilot program to provide a fixed monthly stipend, for a set duration,
to family members who could otherwise not afford to welcome into their homes relatives
reentering the community from the criminal justice system.
One of the soundest ways to house those reentering the community is to place them
with loved ones, if possible, Seplveda said. But many times that poses a financial
burden that is too great. It is cheaper and in the interest of everyone to help families
work this out, rather than have these individuals in shelters or on the street, which does
not bode well for them.
The amount of the stipend and further details will be worked out soon, Seplveda said.

The population reentering is vast. More than 26,000 former inmates exit state prisons
each year, and 80,000 individuals are released yearly from local jails.

The two legislators and those testifying were in agreement that the obstacles many
released inmates face trying to find a place to live put them at a higher risk of
recidivism.
As Chair of the Committee on Correction, ODonnell stated, I have worked to reform
New York States criminal justice system. While headlines often focus on the horrible
treatment and misconduct within prison walls, it is easy to forget the struggles that many
people face after prison.
As todays hearing affirms, ODonnell added, reentry is a vital part of reforming our
broken criminal justice system. Thousands of people who are released from prison are

often stranded without resources to help them reintegrate into society, which, sadly, can
lead to a higher likelihood of reoffending.
I believe we can help stop the revolving doors of recidivism by providing supportive
housing for formerly incarcerated people. A stable home can increase a persons ability
to seek employment and educational opportunities. The alternative is to move from
shelter to shelter, with little hope of successful reentry.
That is unacceptable, ODonnell said. A person who has served time should not be
forced into homelessness. For the safety and security both of our communities and of
the people who have served their time, we need affordable and stable reentry housing.
Seplveda recalled that in his State of the State message in January, the governor
made a historic $10.4 billion commitment to combat homelessness, which would include
funding for the creation of 6,000 new supportive housing beds, 1,000 emergency beds,
and a variety of expanded homelessness services over the next five years.
We applaud him for that initiative, of course, Seplveda said, but in order for the
6,000 new supportive housing units over the next five years to come to fruition,
the Governor must sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the legislative
leadership, and we will do everything we can to urge the parties to sign the MOU
without further delay.
And to keep ex-offenders out of the revolving door of shelter-to-prison-to-shelter yet
again, we very much need a state commitment, for the first time, to target a portion of
the 6,000 new supportive housing units to the formerly incarcerated, Seplveda added.
This is smart public policy, will enhance public safety in our communities, and have a
dramatic impact reducing recidivism.
Witnesses experts in criminal justice and in delivery of supportive services to ex-

offenders called for increasing the availability of temporary, short-term, and

permanent housing for persons upon their release.
Of all the issues facing those leaving incarceration, securing stable, affordable housing
is one of the most essential, and supportive housing can and should play a vital role,
said Kristin Miller, metro region director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing. We
estimate the overwhelming need means 15 percent of newly created supportive housing
should be targeted to those reentering our communities, Miller continued, making it
even more urgent for Governor Cuomo and the legislature to quickly sign an agreement
to honor their commitment to deliver 20,000 new units of supportive housing.

Also among those who testified were Trish Marsik, executive director, New York City
Mayor Bill de Blasios Task Force on Behavioral Health and the Criminal Justice
System; JoAnne Page, executive director, The Fortune Society; The Osborne
Associations executive director Elizabeth Gaynes who proposed the kinship
legislation Seplveda pledged to introduce; Alison Wilkey, policy director, Prisoner
Reentry Initiative at John Jay College; Kristin Miller, director, Corporation for Supportive
Housing; and Jeff Nemetsky, executive director, Brooklyn Community Housing and
Services.
Both Seplveda and ODonnell emphasized that along with education and employment,
housing is a very significant factor in ending the costly cycle of re-offense and reincarceration.

Unfortunately, they noted, there are too few housing resources in New York for persons
exiting the criminal justice system. Significant numbers of prisoners are being released
to the shelter system while others are sent to halfway houses and three-quarter houses.

Finally, housing discrimination in affordable and market-rate housing is yet another

hurdle for those who were formerly incarcerated, they noted.

And because affordable housing is scarce, people with criminal records are often the
first to be shut out.
Providing supportive housing has been clearly proven to be a successful and costeffective vehicle to keep those released from prisons or jails on the right path," said
Sepulveda, "with the right supports, helping them have a supported reentry into society
even as public safety is enhanced.

In combination with the expansion of affordable housing units and the planned increase
in supportive housing overall, Seplveda and ODonnell stated, targeting a reasonable
but certain number of integrated supportive housing units for ex-offenders will ensure
that people with histories of homelessness facing persistent obstacles such as
serious mental illness, substance use disorders, or chronic medical problems will be
able to maintain their housing and not return to behaviors or actions that send them
back to the criminal justice system.

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