As an Activist and a Real Estate Agent - I want to offer some additional insight - type of conviction and getting around the criminal background barrier.

First - anyone who was formerly incarcerated, be upfront about what your charge was. In some cases, the nature of the offense makes a big difference.

I am helping an older man who was convicted of possession. The court documents are public so I was able to determine how horribly he was treated.

The officer stopped him when he left a friends house, did an UNJUST stop & frisk, found the small amount for personal use, and arrested this man 15 years ago.

He spent a few years in prison for this!

Now he is in his late 60s and we are working to find him housing.

One landlord refused his application but another said yes. The one who said yes is just waiting for a floor repair to be complete before our client can move in.

To be honest - the murder charge from the original article might have gotten a No from both because - put yourself into the property owner's shoes - they have other families living in those buildings or multifamily houses - and they want to be sure everyone is safe.

Second - later in the article, Mr. Gaiten says the answer is in the community - and YES! That is where our power truly lies.

I would love the chance to work with Mr. Gaiten and anyone else who desires to create this type of housing and re-entry guidance.

We know there are some who will always go back to their past habits because they felt safe and familiar, but there are a lot of people who only commit more crime Because of the barriers discussed in the article.

EVERY YEAR - my referral network sends me people in similar situations. I am honored to say we have helped folks gain housing access faster and more easily and with higher quality housing too!

The answer is in our community. We can make this happen.

Policy change always takes time. Just look at how long it took to get the nation to support the Affordable Care Act! But we got this. We have the potential and there are plenty of examples to learn from and follow in getting this achieved.