Obtaining Housing with a Felony in Sacramento

Getting housing with a felony conviction in your past can feel impossible in Sacramento. Landlords often automatically reject applicants with any criminal record, even a minor offense from years ago. It’s frustrating and demoralizing, especially when you’ve already served your time and are working hard to get your life back on track.

But there is hope. With persistence and the right strategy, people with felonies can find rental homes and apartments in Sacramento. I’ve compiled this guide based on resources and advice from housing advocates to walk you through the process step-by-step[1].

Know Your Rights

The first thing to understand is that you do have certain rights when it comes to housing applications. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act states that landlords can only deny your application based on your criminal record if the offense is directly related to your ability to be a good tenant[2].

For example, they may be able to deny you if your conviction was for arson, destruction of property or assault. But a non-violent drug offense from a decade ago does not directly relate to your ability to pay rent on time or avoid disturbing your neighbors.

Landlords also cannot have a blanket policy of denying any applicant with a criminal record – they must evaluate each person’s application individually. If you are denied housing and believe it was solely because of your criminal record, you may want to consult with a tenant rights organization to see if you have grounds to fight it.

Explore Public and Subsidized Housing

One of your best options for finding felon-friendly housing is through government-subsidized programs. However, there are some limitations on who can qualify:

• Public housing – Managed by local housing authorities, public housing won’t exclude you just for having a felony. However, they can deny you if your offense requires you to register on the lifetime sex offender registry[3].
• Section 8 – You can’t be banned solely based on a felony record either. But certain violent crimes and drug charges within the last 5 years will disqualify you[4].
• Low income tax credit housing – These affordable rentals usually don’t have blanket felony bans, but some may choose not to accept certain applicants[5].
• Supportive housing – Non-profits focused on reentry and homelessness may offer transitional housing or rental assistance to those with criminal records. These can be great options, but often have long wait lists[6].

Be up front about your conviction when applying and patiently work with the housing provider to review your application. If denied, ask for an appeal process – don’t just give up!

Search for Private Landlords

Don’t limit yourself only to income-restricted housing. Some regular private landlords are open to applicants with criminal records, especially for privately owned small apartment buildings or single family rentals. Here are some tips for your search:

• Lead with your positives – Put your best foot forward highlighting stable income, good references, completion of reentry programs, etc. Don’t hide your record, but draw attention to assets.
• Search locally – Working with smaller Sacramento-area landlords can build trust more easily than a big corporate property management company.
• Find personal connections – Tap into networks of friends, family members and reentry programs to find landlords willing to work with you.
• Offer a bigger deposit – Providing a larger security deposit upfront can give landlords more peace of mind and incentive to take a chance on you.
• Consider a co-signer – If possible, having a lease co-signer with good credit/rental history can help reassure landlords.
• Be persistent and patient – You may have to put in a lot of applications before finding a place. Don’t get too discouraged by initial rejections.

Explore Temporary and Shared Housing

If you need housing right away but are striking out with traditional rentals, some temporary options can work:

• Transitional housing – Some reentry programs offer sober living homes or transitional shelters while you get back on your feet. These are often in group living settings.
• Room rentals – Finding a room for rent in someone’s house can be more feasible than qualifying for your own apartment. Be upfront about your background when contacting potential housemates.
• Staying with family/friends – Crashing with family or friends, even just temporarily, can help you save up for a deposit and buy time to find a permanent rental.
• Motel vouchers – Local charities or government programs may offer emergency motel vouchers for a week or two if you’re at risk of homelessness.

These are just short-term solutions of course. But they can help bridge the gap while you continue your housing search.

Appeal Denials and Know Your Rights

If you are denied housing repeatedly, don’t assume it’s hopeless. There are resources to help appeal denials that may be unlawful or unfair:

• The Fair Housing Law Project offers free legal help to fight housing discrimination in Sacramento. They can advise if you have grounds for an appeal.
• File a complaint with the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) if you believe a public or subsidized housing provider unlawfully denied you.
• Consult local tenant rights groups like Sacramento Tenants Together for advice on appeals and exercising your fair housing rights.
• Reach out to your parole or probation officer as they may be able to advocate on your behalf with housing providers in certain cases.
• Don’t give up just because one landlord denied you – keep applying other places. Unlawful discrimination does happen, but so do cases where applicants just aren’t a good fit for that particular rental.

Partner with Reentry Programs

Connecting with local reentry and prisoner advocacy groups can open doors to felon-friendly housing resources in Sacramento. Here are some to contact:

• Volunteers of America offers transitional housing and can help refer you to participating landlords.
• One Father’s Love provides housing placement assistance for parolees and the formerly incarcerated.
• Anti-Recidivism Coalition has support groups and job programs that can lead to housing.
• Root & Rebound offers a reentry legal hotline, online resources and workshops on housing rights.

Don’t be afraid to ask these organizations for help. They want to see you succeed!

Be Patient But Persistent

I know it’s frustrating facing rejection after rejection in your housing search. Landlords may make unfair assumptions and you’ll have doors slammed in your face. But don’t get discouraged. With determination and creativity, people with felony records do find rental homes in Sacramento every day.

If one property doesn’t work out, keep applying to five more. Follow up with landlords who don’t respond. Ask reentry counselors to make calls on your behalf. Offer to sign a longer lease, pay a few months rent upfront, or have a co-signer if needed.

Look into every program, every listing, and every piece of advice you can. Something will eventually click if you stick with it. And soon enough, you’ll have the housing stability you need to fully move forward with your life. Don’t lose hope. There are people rooting for you.