The Ohio Justice and Policy Center (OJPC) has announced that the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) has finally made a Certificate of Qualification for Housing (CQH) petition form available that will give Ohioans with criminal records an opportunity to move into housing as they reenter society. 

“This is a housing-relief tool for people with criminal records and a huge step forward in giving Ohioans a chance to obtain housing, employment and reentry success,” said Gabe Davis, Chief Executive Officer for the Ohio Justice & Policy Center. 

“Unfortunately, Ohio law has hundreds of legal restrictions for people with criminal records. The CQH breaks down a huge barrier while giving housing providers the discretion to rent or sell to CQH holders, knowing the holder is rehabilitated and the provider’s civil liability for negligent-leasing is limited.” 

Drafted and passed with the expertise and advocacy of OJPC staff, the CQH is a product of House Bill 50, which became law on September 20, 2024. HB 50 creates a legal, petition process for returning citizens, allowing them to demonstrate in court their rehabilitation and fitness for housing. If granted, the CQH gives returning citizens fairer consideration in housing applications, overcoming barriers created by their criminal record. It also provides important protections to landlords who accept tenants with a CHQ.

“Ohio puts a lot of people in prison and nearly all of them eventually come home. The CQH form and the process it creates will help a lot of people achieve security during that uncertain time after their sentence and before they’re eligible to have their records sealed and expunged,” said Michaela Burriss, Policy Director for OJPC. 

“We’re grateful that our team’s more than seven months of steady effort in getting this form accessible to the public is being realized, and that rehabilitated Ohioans in need are getting the second chance they deserve. They’ve earned it, and we’re going to keep pushing for more practical policies like it.”

The ODRC form includes considerations such as housing, employment, and criminal history as well as a request for statements about why they’re seeking a CQH, how it will be helpful, and why it should be granted. With some exceptions, generally anyone can apply one year following release or sanctions stemming from a felony, or six months following release, supervision, or sanctions stemming from a misdemeanor.

“HB 50 is important because the CQH is the first and so far only post-conviction tool in Ohio specifically designed to help people with criminal records to secure housing,” said Ashley Ward, an attorney at Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Justice for All and a Fellow with the OJPC Second Chance Project who worked directly with lawmakers on HB 50, testifying in support during the legislative process and participating in the press conference for the bill’s passage at the Ohio Statehouse.

“Tenants with records will be treated like those who don’t have them and that’s progress.”

Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url