Family Reentry Program

For more information, call (212) 306-6024 or visit http://on.nyc.gov/1FEHgIy. NYCHA's Family Reentry Pilot Program helps people leaving prison and/or jail reunite with their families in NYCHA public housing. Through the program, formerly incarcerated individuals gain access to the family support, housing security, and reentry services necessary after incarceration.

The NYCHA Family Reentry Program reunifies people with family members. The program is designed to provide individuals recently released from incarceration or who have been in the community for less than 3 years with the opportunity to reunite with their families living in public housing for a temporary two-year period. 

During the program, participants work with organizations who help them with various services such as securing employment, continuing their education, and/or obtaining benefits. After they successfully complete the program, they can request to be added to their family’s lease permanently.

Eligibility

If a person meets the following criteria, they are eligible for the program:

  • They are at least 16 years of age;
  • Both the applicant and the family member(s) must want the applicant to live in the NYCHA apartment; 
  • Released from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or federal facility within the last three years (people who are nearing their release can apply from jail, prison, or juvenile facility);
  • Willing to participate in case management services for 6 months; and
  • Must be a sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, spouse, or domestic partner of the primary leaseholder.

95 percent of formerly incarcerated people will eventually return home, and many people leaving prison rely on the support of their families. But current public housing bans on people with criminal convictions can lead to significant barriers to reentry success.

Getting started

If you or your family are interested in learning more about this program, please contact the Family Reentry Program hotline at 212-306-6024 or email family.reentry@nycha.nyc.gov. You can also find more information in the following links:

FAQ document 

NYCHA Family Rentry Program brochure

NYCHA Family Reentry Program evaluation