{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-frost-introduce-the-fair-future-act-to-support-successful-reentry-by-ending-housing-exclusion-for-people-with-prior-drug-convictions", "Booker, Frost Introduce the Fair Future Act to Support Successful Reentry by Ending Housing Exclusion for People With Prior Drug Convictions", "2024-09-19", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10) introduced the Fair Future Act, legislation to repeal an amendment to the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 that has led to permanent denial of rental housing to people with prior drug convictions regardless of the severity of their offenses or the length of time that has passed since their conviction.\n\nThe current law has meant that the over 9 million people who have been previously convicted of drug offenses in the United States can be denied rental housing.\n\n\u201cNo one should be permanently denied a place to live because of a prior drug conviction,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cRight now, housing laws have denied people with prior drug convictions the ability to live in rental housing and in turn, denied them a fair chance at reentering society. The Fair Future Act will eliminate this discriminatory barrier to housing and help us put an end to our nation\u2019s cycle of poverty and recidivism.\u201d\n\n\"People who have served their time, repaid their debt to society, and are looking to re-enter our communities cannot do so when the deck is stacked against them,\" said Congressman Frost. \"Housing is the foundation of a safe and secure life \u2013 yet outdated housing laws and conflicting state laws on marijuana mean that someone could go to jail, serve time, and be denied housing in one state, while someone carrying the same amount of marijuana in another state is abiding by the law. It's time we allow folks a fresh start and put an end to housing exclusion for folks who have paid for their crimes and are rebuilding their lives.\"\n\nThe Fair Future Act was inspired in part by the personal testimony of people impacted by this flawed policy, like Yusuf Dahl, a Milwaukee native who served a five-and-a-half-year sentence and went on to become an outstanding member of society, receiving an Ivy League education and leading a center for entrepreneurship, only to be denied housing while attempting to rent a home for him and his family in Pennsylvania.\n\n\"The Fair Future Act is a common-sense reform that ensures housing applicants are judged by their income, credit history, and rental record\u2014not automatically denied by an algorithm based solely on a decades-old drug conviction,\" said Yusuf Dahl. \"Given housing's crucial role in economic mobility and stability in today's competitive rental market, the Fair Future Act offers a necessary fix to a federal policy that unfairly punishes formerly incarcerated individuals who have already paid their debt to society. When people have turned their lives around, we shouldn't keep them tethered to their past by denying them one of the most fundamental rights: the right to live where they choose.\"\n\nThe Fair Future Act has been endorsed by the National Housing Law Project.\n\n\u201cEveryone, no matter their race, place, or party deserves safe, stable, and healthy housing. But for almost 30 years, a racist and discriminatory provision has robbed people who had been convicted of drug distribution of their fair housing protections. Today, we\u2019re proud to support Representative Frost and Senator Booker\u2019s legislation to repeal the Thurmond amendment and affirm that all Americans deserve Fair Housing. NHLP will continue fighting for a more fair future for all,\u201d said National Housing Law Project Executive Director Shamus Roller.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-frost-introduce-the-fair-future-act-to-support-successful-reentry-by-ending-housing-exclusion-for-people-with-prior-drug-convictions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8503281753510237, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}