In January 2015, I was released from a federal prison in California with the clothes I came in with, a few personal possessions I’d collected over the six years I had been incarcerated, and a bus ticket back to New York City. After a six-day journey home, I found myself subletting a room from a family friend – and as long as the rent was paid on time, they did not ask questions. Living in this apartment allowed me to find employment, cultivate relationships with my family, and continue pursuing my degree at City Tech. Unfortunately, this arrangement did not last.
In 2017, the landlord conducted a criminal background check and proceeded to evict me. Within a few months, I was in a homeless shelter.
Read more from campaign member Devone Nash in the Gotham Gazette.