Government

Detroit City Council Passes Councilmember Ayers’ Fair Chance Housing Ordinance

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — Detroit City Council Member-at-Large Janeé Ayers and Mayor Mike Duggan today celebrated the passage of the Councilmember’s Fair Chance Ordinance

Published

5 years ago

February 17, 2019

Michigan Chronicle Staff

By Michigan Chronicle Staff

Detroit City Council Member-at-Large Janeé Ayers and Mayor Mike Duggan today celebrated the passage of the Councilmember’s Fair Chance Ordinance, which will require most rental housing in the City to follow a “Ban the Box” policy for returning citizens and covers everything from apartment complexes to single family homes.

Every month, nearly 200 former prisoners come back to Detroit every month and are faced with a choice: start on a new path, or stay on the old one. Whether they choose a new path depends largely on the opportunities or lack of opportunities they see available to them. With a 75% recidivism rate, it’s clear the city has not been doing enough. To help address that, Ayers and the Detroit City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass the Fair Chance Housing ordinance.

“When former prisoners return to the city they often have nowhere to go – no roof over their head or a place to lay their head at night,” said Councilmember Ayers. “Many have lost connections with friends and family and even if they are fortunate enough to find jobs and afford rent, they are often turned away because of their previous record.”

The only rental units that will be exempted are those of small landlords with a portfolio of less than five units. A “Ban the Box” policy will prevent landlords from asking potential renters about their criminal background until the landlord has determined that the candidate is qualified to rent under all other phases of the application process.

“I commend the Mayor and his administration for their support and work on this issue; my colleagues for voting unanimously to move this ordinance forward; the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Michigan United for their lobbying efforts with this legislation and all of our partners in the Returning Citizens’ Task Force for their tremendous leadership on this issue,” said Ayers.

How it works

The Fair Chance Ordinance will require most rental housing in the City to follow a “Ban the Box” policy for returning citizens and covers everything from apartment complexes to single family homes. The only rental units that will be exempted are those of small landlords with a portfolio of less than five units. A “Ban the Box” policy will prevent landlords from asking potential renters about their criminal background until the landlord has determined that the candidate is qualified to rent under all other phases of the application process.

Once this is determined, the landlord may investigate the applicant’s criminal history. If the applicant has a criminal record, they may be denied housing only for crimes relevant to the safety of other people or property, like violent crimes, crimes resulting in a lifetime registry on the sex offenders list, arson, etc; or for felonies committed within the past 10 years or resulting in imprisonment within the past five years. If the landlord wants to deny an applicant based on their criminal history, the landlord must allow the applicant to provide evidence of rehabilitation that would show they are a good candidate despite their criminal record. If an applicant feels they have been discriminated against under the ordinance, they will have the right to file a complaint with the City’s Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity. The Department will then investigate and if a violation is found, the Detroit Police Department will issue a ticket for a misdemeanor that will then be taken up by the 36th District Court.

Ensuring access to safe, reliable housing

Multiple empirical research studies have demonstrated that policies ensuring that those returning from incarceration have access to reliable and safe housing help reduce recidivism rates.

“I am proud to stand with Councilmember Ayers on this important issue for our returning citizens,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “The Fair Chance Ordinance is a necessary step forward in that direction and just the start to ensuring our returning citizens feel welcome in our city and have fair access to the resources they need.”

Beyond housing, the city will continue our partnerships at the state and federal level on “ban the box” policies in the hiring process and continue our work with the Returning Citizens’ Task Force to provide job training, expungements, identification and other resources to this vulnerable population.

“My father is an educated, hardworking and loving man but was in and out of prison for most of my life. Many of the Detroiters I represent and speak to across the city have struggled with loved ones falling into the cycle of repeat incarceration because they have no support network when they come home,” said Councilmember Ayers. “This issue is deeply personal to me but it is also just common sense. We often talk about being tough on crime, but we also must be smart on crime. I have spent my time in office working hard for this vulnerable population and also for the public safety of all Detroiters. If we want to have a city and a society that truly believes in redemption and rehabilitation, then we must ensure that our citizens who have served their time can reintegrate and have a fresh start and a fair chance.

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.

Michigan Chronicle Staff

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.

Oakland Post

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Business

Black Business Summit Focuses on Equity, Access and Data

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship. Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA), answers questions from concerned entrepreneurs frustrated with a lack of follow-up from the state. January 24, 2024 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, Lost Angeles, Calif. Photo by Solomon O. Smith

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship.

Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA) was a guest at the event. He told attendees about his department’s efforts to increase access for Black business owners.

“One thing I’m taking away from this for sure is we’re going to have to do a better job of connecting through your chambers of all these opportunities of billions of dollars that are coming down the pike. I’m honestly disappointed that people don’t know, so we’ll do better,” said Omishakin.

Lueathel Seawood, the president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Joaquin County, expressed frustration with obtaining federal contracts for small businesses, and completing the process. She observed that once a small business was certified as DBE, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, there was little help getting to the next step.

Omishakin admitted there is more work to be done to help them complete the process and include them in upcoming projects. However, the high-speed rail system expansion by the California High-Speed Rail Authority has set a goal of 30% participation from small businesses — only 10 percent is set aside for DBE.

The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in economics was reinforced during the “State of the California Economy” talk led by author and economist Julianne Malveaux, and Anthony Asadullah Samad, Executive Director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Assaults on DEI disproportionately affect women of color and Black women, according to Malveaux. When asked what role the loss of DEI might serve in economics, she suggested a more sinister purpose.

“The genesis of all this is anti-blackness. So, your question about how this fits into the economy is economic exclusion, that essentially has been promoted as public policy,” said Malveaux.

The most anticipated speaker at the event was Janice Bryant Howroyd known affectionately to her peers as “JBH.” She is one of the first Black women to run and own a multi-billion-dollar company. Her company ActOne Group, is one of the largest, and most recognized, hiring, staffing and human resources firms in the world. She is the author of “Acting Up” and has a profile on Forbes.

Chairman of the board of directors of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon, a lawyer and the first Black Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor of California, moderated. They discussed the state of Black entrepreneurship in the country and Howroyd gave advice to other business owners.

“We look to inspire and educate,” said Howroyd. “Inspiration is great but when I’ve got people’s attention, I want to teach them something.”