Economy
The Homelessness Problem We Don’t Talk About
The barriers formerly incarcerated people face are creating a housing crisis—and no one is paying attention.
The punishment for a crime doesn’t necessarily end when the person has been released from prison.
Formerly incarcerated people face multiple barriers to securing housing (including public housing) and employment, which can lead to homelessness. And just by virtue of being homeless—by having to sleep on a bench or take shelter under a bridge—these people may then be targeted by the police. Thus starts an unrelenting cycle, through which people are tossed back and forth between jail and the street.