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To: Charlotte, N.C. City Council and Staff

Equitable Access to Rental Housing

Step one of a multi-step campaign. We won this round, we present to the Charlotte City Council and have elevated the public conversation.

As representatives of and advocates for people with criminal records, the signatories of this petition demand the Charlotte City Council to draft and enact a local ordinance that insures the following:

1. A regulation that shall require rental housing providers to defer any inquiry into criminal convictions of applicants and their household members until after the applicant is qualified.

2. A regulation that shall require rental housing providers who deny an applicant based on their criminal history, to allow the applicant to provide evidence of rehabilitation and/or other mitigating factors related to convictions that would show they are a good candidate despite their criminal record.

3. A regulation that guarantees the right of a rental applicant to file a complaint if they believe they have been discriminated against because of their criminal record.

4. The creation of an administering body to investigate and enforce all renter complaints related to the regulations in the ordinance.

5. A regulation that shall direct rental housing providers to post and/or list in writing a description of those matters identified by the ordinance that may be considered by the landlord as basis for adverse action, including criminal convictions and years since conviction date.

The above ordinance shall apply to all rental housing providers receiving city funding for development, capital improvement, leased or transfer of land or real property, tax deferments, financial incentives and/or any other favorable monetary considerations.

Why is this important?

About 78,000 adults have felony convictions in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Local citizens with misdemeanor convictions adds about 195,000 people with records.

For someone with a criminal record, a chance to get back on track is more difficult because they are denied a safe place to live before the rental application is completed.

It is an established fact that policies ensuring those returning from incarceration have access to reliable and safe housing help reduce recidivism rates. A “Ban the Box” policy that prevents landlords from asking potential renters about their criminal background until it is determined the candidate is qualified to rent will ensure a fair and equitable process for all people applying to rental housing.

Full Ordinance Proposal:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/15j6a7f3qmtqrnc/FINAL-DRAFT-Equitable Access to Rental Housing Proposal.docx?dl=0

Updates

2020-09-28 09:23:06 -0400

Hi everyone!
We presented this petition to the Charlotte City Council earlier today as a lead-in to this evening's city council meeting. We have several people w/lived experience facing down reentry housing barriers schedule to speak tonight. This petition--and your support--bear a strong witness to the depth and breadth of this important community issue. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, PASSION & COMMITMENT!

We're closing this petition. However, the journey is just starting; future petitions are likely as we gain momentum and strengthen our base.

2020-09-17 08:48:43 -0400

The reentry housing rights petition was advanced from the Charlotte Great Neighborhoods Committee to the Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Wednesday, 9/16. It will now be reviewed and prioritized with other local initiatives for the Charlotte City Council to lobby for at the Statehouse in Raleigh, NC. Thank you all for your support and passion. We are here because you added your voice!

2020-09-13 15:05:25 -0400

Hi again, everyone! This petition will be presented to Charlotte's Great Neighborhoods Committee before its next meeting on Wednesday, September 15 at noon (search Facebook or YourTube for the live stream). We've come a long way and this is a key milestone. Once these recommendations make it out of committee and to the full City Council, we will again present this petition--with even more signatures!

We could not have come this far with active community support from advocates like you all! You have our humble gratitude and sincere respect. Stay tuned for next steps....

2020-08-23 14:57:36 -0400

Hi everyone! Our recommendations as presented in this petition will go before the Charlotte Great Neighborhoods Committee on September 16. The committee will be prioritizing all recommendations. We may not have another chance to get the word out before going to the full Charlotte City Council. Please share this petition with your contacts so we can have as many signatures as possible by September 16! Thank you!

2020-07-30 17:18:35 -0400

Hi again, folks!
Thanks to you all, we passed a significant milestone today; our recommendations for amending the Charlotte Fair Housing Ordinance were accepted by the Housing Task Force and will be forwarded to the City Council's Great Neighborhoods Committee (formerly the Housing Committee). While having to go to another committee and continue to build our case is not ideal, we are now officially permanent on a City Council committee agenda. The Housing Task Force is disbanded after today.

We will need to keep the pressure for education and meaningful legislative changes on the GNC and the City Council. More to come on exactly how to do this coming in the next few days. Stay tuned....

2020-07-26 16:14:42 -0400

We have 500 signatures!
Don't let up, though. Let's make it 1,000 signatures when our recommendations go before the full Charlotte City Council in August!

2020-07-26 13:34:34 -0400

500 signatures reached

2020-07-24 10:45:20 -0400

Hi again folks!
We're on the home stretch for our next milestone: Presenting the Reentry Housing recommendations to the Charlotte City Council Housing Task Force. The presentation will be live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday, 7/30 at noon (search for "Charlotte City Council" on either platform).

To raise support and awareness, please share the petition with your networks and on social media: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/equitable-access-to-rental-housing

Next steps: The Task Force will make its recommendations to the full City Council likely in early August. We will need to keep the pressure on, so please, spread the word. More detailed calls to action to follow in a week or so.

Thank you!

-Kenn Shrader | Reentry Housing Alliance

2020-07-11 12:41:27 -0400

Hi folks!
Thank you again for signing the Equitable Access to Rental Housing petition. It looks like we will be able to present to the Charlotte Housing Task Force on July 30. We will present the current results of this petition at that time, so it's important to keep circulating the petition link. Don't let up now!

We will keep the petition open until the Housing Task Force presents its recommendations to the full City Council later this summer or early autumn. We want to get as many signatures as possible between now and then.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping to spread the word!

--Reentry Housing Alliance

2020-04-23 11:04:47 -0400

100 signatures reached

2020-04-22 10:07:08 -0400

50 signatures reached

2020-04-21 16:31:39 -0400

25 signatures reached

2020-04-21 15:17:49 -0400

10 signatures reached