Small Group Discussion -- Housing and Reintegration in East and Central Harlem: Coming Home and No Place to Live

Building on earlier work of reintegration of drug users after incarceration in Harlem, the Policy Work Group (PWG) of the Harlem Community & Academic Partnership identified access to housing as a major underlying barrier to reentry as it is an important factor for reintegration. According to the NYC Department of Corrections, approximately 100,000 people were released from city jails in 2005. Of the individuals that were released from NY State prisons, 60 percent returned to New York City. More than 80 percent of NYS prisoners originally come from low-income NYC neighborhoods, such as East and Central Harlem. With many individuals returning to these communities, the PWG utilized a community-based participatory research approach and conducted a qualitative study using focus groups to understand the perceptions about community reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals among public housing residents in northern Manhattan. Thirty-three public housing residents participated in the focus groups. All of the participants were either Latino or Black with an even mix of women and men ranging in ages from 19 to 61 years. This study suggests the need for more efficient and coordinated support and transitional services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Analysis of findings further suggest that residents are generally accepting and tolerant of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to live in their community depending on the crime and that having a place to stay is a critical factor for effective reintegration into society. Innovative housing solutions were also identified.

The HCAP PWG aims to utilize advocacy strategies using the principles of CBPR to influence policy decisions made by relevant stakeholders.