LAUSR

This study examined whether a certificate of employment, which was created to help ex-offenders secure employment, could aid ex-offenders in securing housing and whether housing outcomes vary for ex-offenders possessing older and less serious criminal records. Four hundred and twenty property managers and owners were randomly sampled from stratified neighborhoods and randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: recent misdemeanor record, felony record with a Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE), old felony record, and recent felony record. We found that CQEs aid ex-offenders in finding housing. Severity and recency of offenses are inversely related to housing outcomes. Furthermore, single-family dwellings may be most accessible to ex-offenders.Findings suggest that reentry planning should encourage ex-offenders to pursue CQEs for purposes beyond their designed intent and include discussions regarding residence type and housing outcomes. Findings also suggest that the stigma of a criminal record and the resulting negative consequences continue long after conviction. Policy-makers should consider revising expungement laws to encompass a wider range of offenders with old criminal records.