Allegheny County Selected to Participate in National Initiative to Break Link Between Housing Instability and Incarceration
Just Home project, led by the MacArthur Foundation and Urban Institute, empowers communities to provide housing to residents with criminal legal system involvement
PITTSBURGH – Today County Executive Sara Innamorato announced that Allegheny County is one of six communities selected to participate in the Just Home project, a national program designed to advance community-driven efforts to break the link between housing instability and incarceration.
Led by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Urban Institute, Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and its partners will receive a total award of approximately $350,000.00 over a 9-month planning and 18-month implementation period (ending in late summer 2026) to develop and implement a housing investment action plan focused on the needs of individuals with criminal legal system-involvement. Additionally, Allegheny County will have the opportunity to apply for a $2.5M - $5.0M program-related investment (PRI) from the MacArthur Foundation, a low-interest loan that can applied to related housing investments.
County Executive Sara Innamorato said: “Housing is a human right for all our neighbors. In our All in Allegheny survey, we heard from residents that access to affordable and stable housing is a priority. There is substantial evidence that shows that housing is a powerful way to break the cycle of poverty and prevent individuals from reentering the carceral system – saving taxpayers money in the long run. I’m proud that Allegheny County was selected for this transformative initiative and grateful for all our community partners.”
Among the project team partners is Community Care and Resistance in Pittsburgh (CCRIP), led by Muhammad Ali Nasir (better known as MAN-E). CCRIP will work with Allegheny County to ensure that the perspectives of people with lived experience around incarceration and housing instability are reflected in both the housing investment action plan and implementation.
MAN-E said: “Our commitment to this cause stems from our understanding of the profound impact of stable housing on those seeking to reintegrate into society. Without the stability and security that comes with a place to call home, individuals released from incarceration face significantly higher risks of recidivism, unemployment, and further marginalization.”
Additional partnership will come from the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania Criminal Division, along with other criminal legal system partners and affording housing and affordable housing funding partners.
This new funding enables Allegheny County to build on its ongoing work of safely reducing the jail population and reducing recidivism through a combination of initiatives, including a redesign of the jail reentry program to embed principles of Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy and other evidence-based practices. These initiatives are funded in part through the County’s participation in the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge, an initiative that began in 2018 to safely reduce the jail population as well as racial and ethnic disparities in our region’s criminal legal system. More information on Allegheny County’s Safety and Justice Challenge work can be found here: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Government/Departments-and-Offices/Department-Directory/Communications/Safety-Justice-Challenge
In addition to Allegheny County, other communities selected for the Just Home project include: Buncombe County, North Carolina; the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Los Angeles County, California; Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; and Missoula County, Montana.
About the MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks in building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, decreasing nuclear risk, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., and reducing corruption in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsive democracy as well as the vitality of its headquarters city, Chicago. More information about the Foundation’s criminal justice reform work can be found at www.macfound.org/programs/bigbets/criminal-justice.
About the Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that provides data and evidence to help advance upward mobility and equity. They are a trusted source for changemakers who seek to strengthen decision-making, create inclusive economic growth, and improve the well-being of families and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered facts that inspire solutions—and this remains their charge today.
|
