Here’s one way California can begin to dismantle its prison-to-homelessness pipeline

Every Californian should have a decent place to live, and that includes people who have served prison time. Unfortunately, homelessness rates among the formerly incarcerated are very high: They’re almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public.

I was released from prison after serving 21 years. Despite being paroled with a bachelor’s degree and an advanced certification in specialized counseling, securing full-time employment at Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs (CROP), and successfully completing six months of transitional housing, I was on the brink of homelessness.

Upon exiting the prison system, I was placed in transitional housing and only had a short time to find my own place. I visited more than 20 apartments in the greater Sacramento area and found it nearly impossible to get housing. I completed each application, provided honest answers, and then quickly saw my chances for stable housing fade away. “Do you have two years of rental history?” No. “Can you show a year of verified employment?” No. “Do you have a 640 credit score or above?” No. “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” Yes.

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Nearly every property manager and landlord said I shouldn’t bother filling out an application because I would be denied.

If CROP hadn’t cosigned for my apartment, I would have been living out of my car. Had my grandfather not cosigned for my car, I could have been sleeping on the street. Of all those I shared transitional housing with, only one has stable housing today. The rest became homeless when their transitional housing term ended, and they continue to struggle with unemployment and addiction. I can’t imagine how I could be thriving personally or professionally without stable housing.

It’s time we fix our broken system of support for formerly incarcerated people struggling to reenter society. Californians exiting the prison system need stable housing to focus on learning new skills, securing a job, and successfully reintegrating into their communities. Yet, as I found out, too many face virtually insurmountable barriers.

Assembly Bill 1816 would establish a program to house formerly incarcerated Californians and provide them with workforce development services to provide pathways to livable-wage employment. Without a pathway to a decent home, education, or employment, many risks falling into homelessness.

If state leaders truly want to address homelessness and improve public safety, the best way is to provide people with a viable path to rejoin their communities with stable housing and supportive services when they need them most.

When people have an affordable place to live, they’re better equipped to build a life, focus on work, support their family, and contribute to their community. Housing was a critical foundation for me to restart my life and lay the foundation for a better future. Now, as an employee at CROP, I see time and again how the combination of housing, services, and workforce training catalyzes successful reentry.

As the California Legislature considers passing AB 1816 to help formerly incarcerated people access stable housing and workforce development services, I hope they keep my story in mind. If we continue to ignore the housing needs of Californians exiting the criminal justice system, we’ll lose the opportunity to build a better future for our state.

AB 1816 is a crucial step to help people who were incarcerated reclaim their lives, support their families, and rejoin their communities.

Richard Mireles is the director of communications for the Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs Organization, or CROP, which aims to transform lives and heal California communities by reimagining reentry.