LEO and Michigan Justice Fund award $670K to expand housing access for justice-involved individuals

Grants to expand safe, affordable housing to lift more Michiganders out of poverty

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) announced the Housing Access for Justice-Involved Individuals pilot program is distributing awards to support residents who have been impacted by the criminal legal system with finding and obtaining housing. The program aims to provide housing assistance and placement to low-income individuals with barriers to stable housing, particularly those with a criminal record. It will also increase the number of landlords in the selected areas who are willing to rent to these individuals through targeted education and incentives.

LEO is awarding two grants to separate communities: $279,183 to the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation to expand housing placement support from the Washtenaw Housing Alliance’s Rising Hope for Housing program; and $390,817 to Neighborhoods of Battle Creek to expand housing access incentives with a focus on rural landlords. This pilot helps support the strategic goals of LEO and the Poverty Task Force in two ways: it promotes inclusion and closes equity gaps by targeting and providing support for a marginalized community, and it builds strong and welcoming communities, with its focus on increasing housing access.

“These selected organizations are receiving critical funds to uplift the communities they serve and deliver more accessible, equitable housing for justice-involved individuals,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “LEO is proud to offer the housing pilot and will continue to collaborate with community partners as we deliver on our mission to close equity gaps and remove barriers to economic prosperity for all Michiganders.”

The Michigan Poverty Task Force has released two reports detailing recommendations that would help to improve the lives of those in the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population and other low-income Michiganders. These recommendations focus on what state government can, and should, do to help eradicate poverty. Included in the report are recommendations to develop goals and strategies to assist justice-involved individuals who face barriers to employment, housing and other staples of life so that they have a path to better outcomes, including a self-sustaining income and lower recidivism rates.

The Housing Pilot grantees will establish a program to manage and increase housing access for justice-involved individuals in two communities through financial incentives that are paid directly to the landlord, either as rental payment support for justice-involved individuals or as some other financial incentive for the landlord.

“The pilot program will expand much-needed housing services tailored to the needs of the local communities the grantees serve,” said Kim Trent, LEO’s Deputy Director for Prosperity and key staffer for the Poverty Task Force. “We are thankful for the support of the Michigan Justice Fund and their critical dollars that will allow us to better meet the needs of justice-involved individuals through partnerships with organizations that advance the mission of the Poverty Task Force.”

The Poverty Task Force applied for and received $300,000 from the Michigan Justice Fund. A total of $200,000 from this grant will support the pilot program. Together with $470,000 in state funding, the supplemental funding from the Michigan Justice Fund has made it possible to expand the pilot from one region of the state to two regions, and LEO now has the ability to contract an evaluator.

The Michigan Justice Fund, a collaborative of 17 Michigan-based and national funders, focuses on reducing the state’s reliance on incarceration, promoting community-driven alternatives to public safety, and supporting the economic mobility of individuals with criminal records.

“The Michigan Justice Fund is excited to partner with LEO on this initiative to expand access to housing for justice-impacted individuals.” said Michigan Justice Fund Director Ashley Carter. “This pilot will demonstrate what becomes possible when public-private investments are targeted towards expanded opportunity for returning citizens in communities across the state.”

Michigan currently has a recidivism rate measured at 21%, the lowest rate ever recorded by the state. The rate measures those who are three years from their parole date and records how many individuals have reoffended and returned to prison within that timeframe. A recent report from the Michigan Department of Corrections shows a 79% success rate of those paroled not returning to prison. The housing pilot is one example that showcases how the state is committed to lowering the recidivism rate even further through targeted support for justice-involved individuals.

The grant program also supports the recommendations of the Michigan Poverty Task Force, whose goal is to remove barriers to economic mobility and lower costs for struggling Michiganders. To learn more about their work and view the full list of grant awardees (also listed below), visit the Michigan Poverty Task Force’s housing pilot webpage.

Michigan Justice Fund

The Michigan Justice Fund, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, is a funders’ collaborative created to help decrease the pipeline of people who enter the criminal legal system. MJF works to strategically and thoughtfully guide the investment of public dollars to community-driven alternatives to incarceration and ensure that those who are returning home after incarceration receive the support they need to flourish. MJF is comprised of 17 Michigan-based and national funders dedicated to advancing justice reform and the economic mobility of individuals with criminal convictions in Michigan. Visit cfsem.org/mjf to learn more.