Limiting Tenant Criminal Records Checks (S 2591)

We supported legislation which recognizes the enormous barriers that justice-involved individuals often face in obtaining housing. The ability to secure housing is, of course, crucial in and of itself, but it is especially important for formerly incarcerated individuals seeking to reintegrate into their communities. Statistics bear out the difficulties that people with this background have in obtaining stable housing and avoiding homelessness. Therefore, any legislation that helps mitigate this problem is to be commended. By limiting the circumstances under which housing providers can demand information about a tenant’s past criminal history and restricting the scope of the information that can be considered, this bill takes important steps in protecting this vulnerable population. We however, offered some amendments to further clarify the protections of the legislation.