| Overcoming a felony conviction can be a really hard | | | | rent voucher program providing vouchers for close to |
| thing for people to overcome. Finding a job is no easy | | | | 1000 households. The HAUC caters to people that |
| task and finding a place that will sign a lease | | | | were formerly homeless and whose income is below |
| agreement with you can be equally daunting. | | | | poverty level. The intention of this service is to get |
| If you are a landlord does it make sense to sign a | | | | former inmates off the streets, to help them find their |
| lease agreement with a convicted felon? | | | | footing and to provide them with a stable home. |
| Well, it all depends... | | | | Utah's Food and Care Coalition plans to build |
| It does present a rather unique opportunity to cater to | | | | thirty-seven units of housing they are referring to as |
| a niche of hungry and often overlooked market of | | | | "transitional housing". This will cater to anyone suffering |
| renters. | | | | from addiction or mental disorders. If you are a |
| Over 12,000,000 American citizens have been | | | | resident of transitional housing, typically you receive |
| convicted of a felony. Additionally, over 600,000 | | | | free educational workshops, job training and placement |
| Americans who have been convicted of a felony are | | | | and often times substance abuse counseling. |
| going to be released from prison each year. This | | | | Now that more and more of these types of programs |
| constitutes almost 8% of the working class population. | | | | are becoming available nation-wide, investors that are |
| Where do all of these people end up? | | | | interested would have additional support at the ready if |
| Without the appropriate resources at their disposal and | | | | they choose to serve this clientele. |
| no one to turn to for rentals, nearly ten percent of | | | | There is a catch... |
| those released from prison will become homeless. | | | | Just because you may own low-income housing, it |
| A landlord who sees the potential and has an open | | | | doesn't necessitate that you will get help from these |
| heart could very easily tap into this market and have a | | | | types of programs. And even though if you owned a |
| fantastic group of prospective renters at their disposal. | | | | business and hired an ex-felon, you would receive a |
| However, going down this road obviously presents its | | | | tax break, the same does not hold true for signing a |
| own set of risks. | | | | lease agreement with one. If you are a property |
| There is one institution that is doing something about | | | | investor, you have to know these risks going in. |
| this situation. The Corporation for Supportive Housing | | | | On the converse, the rewards may be worth it for |
| understands the risk and is working to ensure former | | | | certain investors... |
| inmates and felons can locate an understanding | | | | They would have a constant pool of willing renters to |
| housing environment that will assist in keeping them off | | | | sign a lease agreement with and they would bask in |
| the streets. If former inmates do not get this help, a | | | | the satisfaction of knowing they helped someone get |
| large percentage of them eventually relapse and end | | | | back up on their feet while contributing to their |
| up back in prison completing another vicious cycle. | | | | community at the same time. |
| The Housing Authority of Utah County assists with a | | | | |