Drug Policy Alliance

Friend,

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how critical stable housing is to one’s health and overall well-being. It can be the difference between life or death. Yet, individuals and their families can lose their homes for simple drug possession. This immediately increases their risk of homelessness and overdose.

Make no mistake about it: this is a product of the drug war. The drug war invades our homes and blocks people from stable places to live. Did you know?

Landlords can evict people who use drugs and deny leases to people with drug convictions.
People in public housing and their entire families can be evicted and banned for years for simply being suspected of drug-related activity.
And some cities are even evicting people who call for help during an overdose emergency.

Not everyone understands the connection between housing insecurity and the punitive policies of the drug war, that’s why we put this information together and are hosting a webinar about the drug war’s impact on housing this Wednesday, August 25 — register now.

Drug use shouldn't sentence someone to living on the streets. Denying housing or kicking people out of their homes only creates new problems and makes existing ones worse.

People and families without homes are less likely to be able to keep jobs or stay in school, and those without homes who are using drugs are more likely to overdose or use more chaotically.

Even though these housing policies do more harm than good, they persist and affect far too many people across the country:

Under federal law, anyone who has been evicted for drug activity (whether they were actually involved with drugs or not) is banned from public housing for three years. In at least 12 states, the ban is even longer.
Private landlords also perpetuate the war on drugs mentality by denying leases to people with criminal convictions, including drug convictions. Nearly half of landlords in one survey said they would reject housing applications from those with a criminal record.
In 2011, the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated that 35-40% of all individuals experiencing homelessness in the U.S. were living with a substance use disorder.

For the last three decades, the drug war has forced families from their homes and prevented people from finding stable housing with devastating consequences.

It’s time to uproot the drug war from housing and open doors instead of shutting people out.

Don’t forget to join our virtual conversation on August 25. And if you know someone who cares about this issue, please share this email with them.

Sincerely,

Kassandra Frederique
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance