Rent Assistance for Felons: HUD Rules, Reentry Housing, and Local Help

What federal law actually bars

Many people are told that a felony means no government housing, ever. That is not what the rules say. HUD’s regulations for public housing admissions and the Housing Choice Voucher program list a short set of situations where a housing authority must say no. Only two of them last for life.

• Lifetime sex offender registration. If anyone in the household is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a state program, the household cannot be admitted. Housing authorities must run checks in their own state and in other states where household members are known to have lived.
• Methamphetamine production in assisted housing. A conviction for making meth on the premises of federally assisted housing is a permanent bar. It is also the one offense that forces a voucher to be ended right away for people already in the program.
• Drug-related eviction, three years. A household member evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity is barred for three years from the eviction date. The housing authority may admit the household sooner if that person completed a supervised drug rehab program it approves, or if the circumstances no longer exist.
• Current illegal drug use or harmful alcohol abuse. These depend on what is happening now, not on an old conviction. A housing authority must deny admission if it finds current illegal drug use, or reasonable cause to believe drug or alcohol abuse would threaten other residents.

Notice what is missing from the list. Theft, burglary, assault, drug possession, and most other felonies are not automatic bars. They fall into the housing authority’s discretion, covered below.

HUD screening changes since 2025

Federal guidance on criminal records changed several times in 2025. Here is what we could confirm from HUD documents and reports from national housing groups.

The 2015 notice had said an arrest alone, without a conviction, should not be the reason to deny housing. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials reports that the new notice simply points providers back to the regulations and to state and local law. The National Low Income Housing Coalition describes the November letter as encouraging more restrictive screening, and notes that it does not change the underlying legal requirements, and that the Fair Housing Act and the Violence Against Women Act still apply.

What has not changed: the two lifetime bans above, the three-year drug eviction rule, and your right to see and dispute a criminal record before a housing authority uses it against you. We did not find any final HUD rule in 2026 that changes criminal screening for public housing or vouchers. If one is published, we will update this page.

How housing authorities weigh a record

For anything outside the mandatory bars, each public housing agency (PHA) writes its own policy. For vouchers, that policy lives in a document called the Administrative Plan. For public housing, it is the Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy. Both are public. Ask the front desk for a copy, or look on the agency’s website.

The voucher rules let a PHA deny admission for drug-related or violent criminal activity, or other activity that threatens residents, that happened within a “reasonable time” before you apply. The PHA decides what “reasonable” means. Some use three years, some five, some longer, and some look at the type of offense. That is why one city may approve you while the next county denies you for the same record.

The rules also let a PHA consider all relevant circumstances, including how serious the case was, and whether a person completed a supervised drug or alcohol treatment program. If the household member with the record will not live in the unit, the PHA can approve the rest of the household. That option matters for families where a parent or partner is still incarcerated.

Evidence of change helps. Housing authorities often look at:

• How long ago the offense happened and your age at the time.
• Whether you finished probation or parole without new problems.
• Steady work, school, or job training since release.
• Letters from a parole officer, employer, counselor, pastor, or program staff.
• A treatment completion certificate, if substance use was part of the case.

Waiting lists are the other hurdle. Most voucher and public housing lists are long, and some open only for a few days. Our guides to the Housing Choice Voucher program and public housing explain how to get on lists in more than one place at once.

Where to find rent assistance for felons

Because vouchers take time, most people coming home piece together help from several places. This table shows where each kind of help comes from and how fast it usually moves.

Dial 211 and say you were recently released and need housing. Ask specifically for reentry housing, rapid rehousing, and deposit help, since each is listed separately. Your parole or probation officer may also know which local programs accept people with your type of conviction. For a wider look at money help after release, see our guide to government grants for ex-felons.

Reentry, halfway, and transitional housing

Federal halfway houses

People leaving federal prison may spend part of their sentence in a Residential Reentry Center, often called a halfway house. The Bureau of Prisons contracts with private operators to run them. According to the Bureau, the prison unit team recommends placement about 17 to 19 months before release, and placement can last up to 12 months. Residents are generally expected to be working within about 15 days of arrival and pay a subsistence fee of 25 percent of gross income. Staff can help find release housing, which is often the bridge to a first apartment.

State prisons and county jails run their own reentry and community corrections programs. Ask your case manager before release which ones you can apply to.

Second Chance Act programs

The federal Second Chance Act funds reentry services through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. One part, the Smart Reentry: Housing Demonstration Program, pays for projects that expand housing for adults leaving prison or jail. These grants go to state and local governments and nonprofits, not to individuals. You cannot apply for one yourself, but you can ask 211 or your reentry council which local groups received funding and run housing programs.

Transitional and sober living homes

Transitional housing usually means a shared home or apartment for a set time, often 6 to 24 months, with case management and rules about curfew, sobriety, or work. Some are run by churches and charities, others by private operators. Before you move in, ask for the house rules in writing, what the weekly fee covers, and what happens to your belongings if you have to leave. A good program will also tell you where residents usually move next, and how many find a place of their own.

Help for veterans leaving jail or prison

Veterans have some of the strongest options, and a criminal record is not part of the eligibility test. The VA’s Health Care for Re-entry Veterans program sends specialists into prisons for pre-release planning and gives short-term case management after release. Its goal is to prevent homelessness among veterans returning home.

The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program funds local nonprofits that offer rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention to low-income veteran families who are homeless or at risk of losing housing. Call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. The VA says the call is free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day.

Fair chance housing laws in some places

A growing number of states, counties, and cities limit how private landlords can use criminal records. These laws do not override federal mandatory bans, and most have exceptions. Three well-known examples:

The Cook County Just Housing Amendment requires a landlord to show that denial is needed to protect against a clear risk to safety or property, and to explain any denial in writing. Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights still enforces the rest of its ordinance. New Jersey’s Fair Chance in Housing Act took effect January 1, 2022, and is enforced by the state Division on Civil Rights. Under its rules, after a conditional offer a landlord can consider a fourth-degree conviction from the past 1 year, a second- or third-degree conviction from the past 4 years, and a first-degree conviction from the past 6 years. Each period counts back from the offer to the conviction or, if you went to prison, to the end of the prison sentence. A few serious crimes, such as murder, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, human trafficking, and crimes that require lifetime sex offender registration, can be considered no matter how old. The law does not cover owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units.

If you live somewhere else, ask a legal aid office or your city’s human rights or fair housing office whether a local law applies.

Sealing or expunging your record

Clearing a record can open more doors than any single program. Most states let people seal or expunge some convictions after a waiting period, and several now seal certain records automatically under “clean slate” laws. Rules depend on the offense, the state, and whether fines and supervision are finished.

• Find out what is on your record. Request your state criminal history from the state police or court system, so you see what landlords will see.
• Ask a legal aid office whether you qualify. The Legal Services Corporation lists free civil legal aid programs by state, and many run expungement clinics.
• Correct errors. Tenant screening reports sometimes show dismissed charges or someone else’s record. You have the right to dispute wrong information with the screening company.

Even when a record cannot be cleared yet, a certificate of rehabilitation or good conduct, offered in some states, can help with landlords and housing authorities.

Renting from a private landlord

Private landlords set their own screening unless a local law limits them. Smaller landlords who screen in person are often more flexible than large complexes that use automated reports. A few things raise your chances:

• Bring a renter packet: ID, proof of income, a short honest letter about your record and what has changed, and two or three reference letters.
• Ask before you pay an application fee whether the landlord accepts people with records. A clear “no” saves you money.
• Offer a co-signer or a larger deposit if you can, or ask whether a program can pay the deposit straight to the landlord.
• Look at rooms for rent and shared housing, which often involve lighter screening.

Some property managers advertise “second chance” leasing. Our guide to second chance apartments explains what those listings mean and the fees to watch.

What can I do if I am denied?

A denial is not always the end. For public housing and vouchers, you have rights written into the regulations.

1. Get the reason in writing. Voucher applicants must receive prompt notice of a denial and a chance to ask for an informal review. Public housing applicants have a similar right. Note the deadline to ask, often just 10 to 14 days.
2. Ask for the record. Before denying you because of a criminal record, the housing authority must give you a copy and a chance to dispute how accurate and relevant it is.
3. Bring evidence. At the review, show proof of treatment, work, school, and references. Explain any errors on the record.
4. Ask about removing a member. If one household member’s record is the problem, ask whether the rest of the family can be approved.
5. Get help. Legal aid offices handle housing denials, and some reentry programs send a staff member with you.

If you have a disability and the conduct was connected to it, you can also ask for a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law.

A housing plan for your first month out

1. Before release: ask your case manager about halfway house placement, reentry housing, and any program for your county.
2. Week one: get a state ID, apply for SNAP and Medicaid, and call 211 for reentry housing and deposit help.
3. Week two: visit the local housing authority, ask for its criminal history policy, and get on every open waiting list you qualify for.
4. Week three: request your criminal record, look for errors, and contact legal aid about sealing.
5. Week four: build your renter packet and start contacting smaller landlords. Ask charities about deposit help once you have a unit in mind.

Keep copies of every application, the date you applied, and the name of the person you spoke with. Waiting lists often require you to update your address, and missing a letter can drop you from the list.

Related guides

• Successful transitional housing programs
• Salvation Army transitional housing program
• Fastest way to get Section 8
• Emergency housing assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Housing authority policies and local laws change, so confirm the rules with your local agency or a legal aid office. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with HUD, the VA, or any government agency.