A new report calls for public housing authorities to change certain policies to prevent excluding people with criminal records.

The Prison Policy Initiative report finds some public-housing policies work against people who once were convicted, for instance, of using marijuana. While it's legal in 37 states and Washington D.C., the Department of Housing and Urban Development prohibits marijuana use in public housing, since it is still illegal at the federal level.

Wanda Bertram, communications strategist for the Prison Policy Initiative, said access to housing is critical to help people restart their lives.

"Someone coming out of prison might have a whole host of issues to work on," Bertram explained. "They might have a health issue, they may have a substance use problem, they might have a mental illness. These are all issues that are disproportionately prevalent among people leaving prison. They might not have very many job prospects, but in order to begin tackling all of those problems, they need a place to live."

In Connecticut, legislation to ensure landlords would not discriminate against prior offenders stalled in the General Assembly. The state's "Clean Slate Law," which erases the criminal records of those who remain crime-free for an extended period, went into effect this year, but it only applies to people convicted of misdemeanors and lower-level felonies.

The report recommends public housing authorities could be more inclusive by removing lengthy "look-back periods" in screening prospective renters, and issuing clear explanations about why a person was denied housing. Bertram noted changes to the appeals process would also aid people with criminal records.

"With public housing authorities there's always, in theory, an option to appeal if you're denied," Bertram acknowledged. "There should be an option to have the authority review your case. Now, authorities need to make that option basically guaranteed to everybody who's denied, including people who are denied based on a criminal record."

HUD issued guidance in 2016 and in 2022 to ensure public housing authorities do not exclude people on the basis of a criminal record, but there is no clear picture of whether they are following the guidance.

Industry groups say Minnesota is short more than 100,000 affordable-housing units to meet demand, and project leaders have said the Trump administration's escalating trade war creates more uncertainty in addressing the critical need.

This week, the National Association of Home Builders warned the Trump administration's aggressiveness on tariffs could increase the cost of building a home by more than $9,000.

Cecil Smith of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association said it depends on the situation for each project but acknowledged it is possible. He pointed out it adds to the other market forces affordable housing developers are already dealing with.

"We have a lot of uncertainty in the economy right now," Smith observed. "Tariffs are one factor that's making business very nervous."

Minnesota has invested money to accelerate affordable housing but Smith noted momentum is slow because of higher interest rates and regulatory issues. Lawmakers are trying to fix some of the problems this session.

Local unions said they, too, are monitoring tariffs, noting rising costs could scale back available work. The White House insists its approach will pay off for the economy, while acknowledging short-term challenges.

Leah Midgarden, president of the Southeast Area Labor Council of the AFL-CIO in Rochester, said if tariff effects take hold, losing ground on affordable housing would be a problem for the construction trades. She added when a big project comes together, a range of skilled workers contribute, including in the fields of iron, drywall and plumbing.

"All of these trades provide a really important source of income, not just for their workers but more importantly, these are folks that, again, are living in these communities," Midgarden emphasized. "They are spending those resources in those communities."

She warned if a project is canceled, a worker either has to deal with lost income or bolt to another region where there are construction needs, disrupting their personal life.

Kenneth Bush, CEO of Bush Companies, a development company in Rochester, said if tariff pressure does not ease, it could negatively affect a project he's involved with, aiming to create affordable units for middle-class workers.

"The back-and-forth (of tariff threats), the pulling and tugging, is really not going to work for the people," Bush contended.

Backers of legislation in Nevada said it would bring more balance to landlord-tenant relationships and help ensure rental homes are safe to live in.

Asm. Venicia Considine, D-Las Vegas, said for far too long, some Nevada renters have put up with unacceptable living conditions from black mold to infestations and other issues which can go months without repair. She explained Assembly Bill 223 is about strengthening tenant rights by giving them certain tools, like a process to file official complaints and the ability to exit leases at no cost if landlords drag their feet.

"A verified complaint would give tenants the ability, if they've gone through the habitability issue -- the two weeks' time frame, still the lack of anything being fixed that is promised in a lease to be there, that they're paying for -- that they have a way to access the court without putting themselves in jeopardy of eviction," Considine outlined.

Considine noted there were thousands of statewide evictions in Nevada last year but it is unknown how many were due to habitability issues because the current system does not track the information. The bill was heard by the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor this week.

Asm. Toby Yurek, R-Henderson, said he appreciates the bill intends to go after the "bad actors" among property owners but is skeptical about the potential for some renters to take advantage of the bill's provisions if it were to pass.

"I also want to be careful we are not unintentionally going after the 'good actors' by giving 'bad actor' tenants the ability to go in and say, 'Oh, I want out of this lease, because I'm going to go date this guy or this girl and there's a cheaper rent down the street, so I'm just going to let things go into disarray a little bit here,'" Yurek stated.

Dani Garcia, a member of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, is a longtime renter and a supporter of the measure. He said in one apartment, while certain repairs were made in a timely manner, others took too long to resolve.

"During this time, my family's health began to decline and we stopped having people over because of the embarrassment of the way our apartment looked," Garcia recounted. "But also the fear that we might get somebody else sick."

Gov. Josh Shapiro's budget includes a $50 million investment for repairs to older homes. A grassroots group supports the idea but said the dollar amount falls short of the need.

Pennsylvania Stands Up reported more than half of rural homes and 73% of urban homes are over 50 years old, many in flood-prone areas.

Mary Collier, communications organizer for the group, said the funds would help residents make climate-resistant repairs and cut utility bills. But she noted a similar home repair program with $125 million quickly ran out due to high demand.

"There's like, still tens of thousands of families on waitlists for this program," Collier pointed out. "The proposed $50 million this time around is really great but we know it's not enough to meet the needs of the housing crisis we're facing, because that money was really needed three years ago and you know, since then, those waitlists have continued to grow."

A housing study found more than a quarter of Pennsylvanians live in the state's 48 rural counties, where they face major challenges with housing quality, affordability and mortgage access which would allow for homeownership and making repairs. The General Assembly must vote on the budget by June 30.

Collier added a 2022 report revealed one in four homes in the state was built before 1940. Older homes can pose significant health and safety risks, from mold and lead, to structural instability.

"One in four Pennsylvanians said that their homes are in need of critical repairs, and we know a third of Americans say that they can't even afford, like, a $400 emergency, let alone a major repair on their home," Collier stressed. "This funding is really important to keep Pennsylvania families safe in their homes."

Another line item in the budget is an additional $10 million for the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund, to build or rehabilitate affordable housing. Collier said it would increase the funding to $110 million for affordable housing units by the end of 2028.


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