From Hope to Home

In 2025, New York City passed the Fair Chance for Housing Act, prohibiting housing discrimination based on criminal history, with limited exceptions. While the law expanded access to housing for people impacted by the criminal legal system, many continue to face financial barriers, limited familiarity with the rental market, and persistent stigma.

To better understand what helps people overcome these barriers, The Fortune Society, with support from Trinity Church NYC and Enterprise Community Partners, launched the "From Hope to Home Program" pilot. The 11-month initiative explored how housing navigation and landlord engagement can help residents move from transitional housing into permanent homes and maintain long-term housing stability.

The pilot generated important lessons for organizations across the country working to expand housing opportunities for people with conviction histories.

Four Lessons for the Field

1. Housing Search Support Must Include Housing Market Education
   Many participants entered the program with little understanding of how today's rental market operates, what documents landlords require, or how applications are evaluated.

   Organizations often focus on helping participants gather paperwork, but they may also need guidance on understanding rental markets, landlord expectations, lease-up processes, and common barriers that arise during housing searches. Building this knowledge into housing readiness services can help people navigate the process more confidently and effectively.

2. One Size Does Not Fit All
   Participants entered the pilot with varying levels of housing readiness. Some needed substantial support to strengthen their finances, organize documentation, and prepare for apartment searches. Others were ready to engage with landlords and apply for housing immediately.

   Programs may be more effective when they create flexible service pathways that meet participants where they are while maintaining consistent eligibility and intake standards. Tailored support enables staff to focus resources where they are most needed and can improve participant engagement throughout the process.

3. Sustaining Engagement Requires Meaningful Incentives
   Searching for housing can be a lengthy and discouraging process, particularly in competitive rental markets where units are leased quickly and applications are frequently denied.

   Several participants became frustrated when progress felt slow or when program activities seemed disconnected from their ultimate goal of securing housing. Organizations should consider incentives that reinforce participation and reward progress, such as transportation assistance, application fee reimbursement, savings matches, or move-in support.

4. Landlord Engagement is Essential
   The pilot reinforced the importance of strong relationships with housing providers. Rental market conditions shifted rapidly throughout the project, making it difficult to connect participants with available units before opportunities disappeared.

   Maintaining up-to-date information about available housing and building trust with landlords required ongoing outreach, communication, and coordination. While resource-intensive, these efforts were critical to successful placements and should be viewed as a core component of housing navigation services.

Why Transitional Housing Alone Is Not Enough

Transitional housing is designed to provide temporary stability, typically for six to 18 months, while residents prepare for permanent housing. Yet many people remain in transitional housing much longer because they face significant barriers to securing a home of their own.

These extended stays can limit the availability of transitional units for others in need while highlighting a critical gap in the housing continuum: the transition from temporary housing to permanent tenancy.

The From Hope to Home pilot was designed to address that gap by combining individualized housing navigation with direct landlord engagement and practical support throughout the housing search process.

Early Outcomes Show Promise

Participants in the pilot were male, primarily Black or African American, had conviction histories, and did not hold housing vouchers. Individuals were referred through Fortune's existing programs and assessed based on factors such as income, employment history, credit, savings, and housing readiness.

Participants received:

• Housing readiness assessments
• Individualized case management and check-ins
• Financial literacy workshops
• Peer convenings
• Housing search assistance
• Landlord outreach and relationship building
• Application support
• Apartment viewings
• Move-in assistance

By the conclusion of the pilot, three participants had moved into permanent housing and four were actively progressing toward placement.

Beyond housing outcomes, participants developed a stronger understanding of the rental market, increased confidence navigating housing systems, and strengthened the tools needed to pursue long-term stability.

One Participant's Journey Home

One participant entered the program while living at The Fortune Society's Phoenix House after years of housing instability during reentry. Facing an expedited move-out deadline, they urgently needed permanent housing but struggled to identify suitable options independently.

Despite holding a master's degree in education, the participant encountered barriers related to their conviction history and limited access to reentry resources.

Through the pilot, Fortune staff helped identify apartments aligned with the participant's budget and neighborhood preferences, organize application materials, assess local resources, and conduct outreach to prospective landlords.

Within 30 days, the participant was approved for an apartment in Queens and received the keys to their new home on January 30, 2026.

The impact extended beyond housing. By May 2026, the participant had obtained a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities and was pursuing a return to their profession as a public-school teacher.

Their experience illustrates a broader finding from the pilot: when people receive practical, individualized support and meaningful access to housing opportunities, stable housing becomes a foundation for rebuilding independence, pursuing career goals, and strengthening community connections.

Looking Ahead

The From Hope to Home pilot demonstrated that people with conviction histories can secure permanent housing when service providers combine tailored housing navigation with sustained landlord engagement.

As organizations across the country seek to expand housing access for justice-impacted individuals, the pilot's lessons point to the importance of preparation, flexibility, relationship-building, and sustained support. Continued investment in these approaches can help create stronger pathways from transitional housing to permanent homes and, ultimately, greater housing stability for people returning from incarceration.

For more information, see our Housing as a Pathway to Justice Toolkit.