U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge has announced plans to lead an initiative aimed at assisting felons in obtaining public housing assistance. The announcement, made via social media, emphasized the importance of giving individuals a second chance to rebuild their lives.

Secretary Fudge stated, "I do not believe those who have paid their debt to society should be punished for the rest of their lives. That's why HUD is working to remove barriers to housing for some of those seeking a second chance to rebuild their lives after involvement with the criminal justice system."

In a recent interview with Affordable Housing Finance, Fudge expanded on her vision for this policy change. She highlighted the need for individuals released from prison to have access to public housing as part of their reintegration process.

"There are a number of them. I would say, off the top, one of my priorities for this year is to find a way to reunite families who are living in public housing," said Fudge. "If someone has a felony record, when they leave prison they cannot live in public housing. But, there are so many people who have felonies for things that are not violent, that are not abusive, that are not crimes against children, and that are not sexual abuses. They’re just people who may have been in a bad situation. If we can reunite families, we can keep the recidivism rate down. We can let children live with their mother and father. We can create an environment where people feel better about themselves. I think in the long run what we want to do is encourage people to do the right things, to work hard, to try to pull their families through difficult times."

According to a HUD news release summarizing its 2023 achievements, it was disclosed that over the past three years 120,000 new incremental vouchers were provided - marking a 20-year record. Additionally, HUD has committed to eradicating systematic discrimination in order to facilitate more individuals in finding a home.