The Impact of Fair Chance Housing Ordinances on Landlord Behavior and Housing Stability

Project Description

This project assesses the viability of using two data sources to study the impacts of Fair Chance Housing (FCH) laws on rental housing outcomes for people with prior criminal convictions. The larger research goal is to understand how FCH laws shape access to housing for people with past convictions.

FCH laws are designed to improve rental opportunities by limiting the use of criminal background checks in tenant screening and requiring landlords to make a conditional offer of housing before conducting such checks. Each year, nearly 650,000 Americans return from prison (Goger et al 2021), and they all need a place to live.

Currently, FCH ordinances have been implemented in eight cities, two counties, and two states. While specific provisions vary by jurisdiction, these ordinances all typically limit the types of criminal histories that landlords can consider and how this information can be used in rental decisions.

Status
Ongoing

Funding Source
Arnold Ventures

Research Team
Michael Lens, Michael A. Stoll, Brielle Bryan, Eric Lee