Locked Out:
an analysis of Tenant Selection Plans
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introduction
Government subsidized housing developments screen applicants with Tenant Selection Plans (TSPs). These plans differ drastically from development to development. Many include clauses against accepting applicants with criminal records or prior evictions. When 1/3 adults in America hace criminal records, and formerly incarcerated people have a 10x greater likelihood of experiencing homelessness than the rest of the population, can we make the case that TSPs often filter out households that need housing the most?
research question
- how, when, and why did TSPs develop?
- how might affordable housing providers' current admission policies create barriers to housing?
goal
- inform efforts to reform admission policies that expand municipal-level affordable-housing opportunities for prospective tenants who are otherwise excluded
findings
Beginning in the 1970s, 3 factors have been important to the implementation of ever-more-strict TSPs:
1. the rise of tenant screening companies and the general increase in access to criminal and credit reports
2. the professionalization of landlording
3. increased legal pressure on landlords to control crime
Most affordable housing providers in Rhode Island institute bans that are stricter than what HUD requires:
- 75% of 182 analyzed TSPs considered "violent criminal activity"
- 71% of 181 analyzed TSPs considered "drug-related criminal activity"
- 61% of 178 analyzed TSPs considered "other criminal activity"
- 54% of 185 analyzed TSPs used a third-party tenant screening company; another 16% did not specify
recording of public presentation of research at 134 Collaborative in Providence on February 18, 2020
researchers
Samahria Alpern
Shayna Sarin
Alexandra Silva
Erica Wei
community partners
Megan Smith, PhD candidate, Boston University
House of Hope CDC