Thursday, Nov. 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., there will be a Community Hearing on Housing Discrimination Against Formerly Incarcerated Persons. The hearing will be held at the historic House of the Lord Church, 415 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn.
Incarcerated persons have experienced housing discrimination. It’s illegal to be denied a job just because one has a criminal record. A new law called the Fair Chance Act says employers cannot ask about one’s criminal record until after offering a job. The new law went into effect Oct. 27. Advocates say something similar needs to be done for housing.
The Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry, pastor of the House of the Lord Church, long-time civil rights activist and organizer of the community hearing, said, “The criminal justice system and how we treat ex-offenders have become some of the top problems in the United States. America can’t fulfill its ideals like ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ until its incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons are treated fairly.”
For information, email 415@holc.org or call 718-596-1991.
