LEO Launches Pilot Grant to Expand Housing Access for Justice-Involved Individuals

Applicants encouraged to respond to request for proposals

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) launched the Housing Access for Justice-Involved Individuals pilot grant to support justice-involved individuals with finding and obtaining housing, while also increasing the number of landlords in the selected area who are willing to rent to these individuals through targeted education and incentives program.

LEO is requesting proposals from interested applicants that have demonstrated experience and success in providing housing support and placement to low-income individuals with barriers to stable housing, particularly individuals with a criminal record. 

LEO anticipates awarding two grants to separate communities between $200,000 and $400,000. This pilot helps support the strategic goals of LEO and the Poverty Task Force in two ways: it promotes inclusion and closes equity gaps by targeting and providing supports for a marginalized community, and it builds strong and welcoming communities, with its focus on increasing housing access.

“There are organizations around the state working every day to uplift their communities and advocate for equitable treatment of justice-involved individuals,” said Susan Corbin, Director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. “LEO is proud to offer this grant program to increase their capacity to provide housing resources and deliver on our mission to build strong welcoming communities.”

The Michigan Poverty Task Force has released two reports detailing recommendations that would help to improve the lives of those in the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population and other low-income Michiganders. These recommendations focus on what state government can, and should, do to help eradicate poverty. Included in the report are recommendations to develop goals and strategies to assist JIIs who face barriers to employment, housing and other staples of life so that they have a path to better outcomes, including a self-sustaining income and lower recidivism rates.

The Housing Pilot will establish a program to manage and increase housing access for justice-involved individuals in one or more communities through financial incentives that are paid directly to the landlord, either as rental payment support for justice-involved individuals or as some other financial incentive for the landlord.

“The pilot program will provide much-needed support to the justice-involved individuals the grantees serve,” Kim Trent, LEO’s Deputy Director for Prosperity and key staffer for the Poverty Task Force. “We will prioritize partnerships with organizations with a proven record of providing a full spectrum of services that meet the needs of justice-involved individuals and support the mission of the Poverty Task Force.”

LEO is also issuing a separate Request for Proposals to support program management and evaluation of the Housing Access for Justice-Involved Individuals Pilot Program. The department seeks to partner with an organization that shares the state’s commitment and has demonstrated expertise in engaging and supporting justice-involved individuals. LEO anticipates awarding a total of $100,000 to one evaluator for a period covering July 1, 2025, through March 30, 2027. The external evaluator will conduct an evaluation and support efforts to assess outcomes and determine the need for ongoing funding.

An informational webinar on the grant and the application portal, EGrAMS, will be held on Tuesday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m. The webinar recording will be shared online. Register for the Zoom webinar in advance. To learn more about the RFPs, visit the Michigan Poverty Task Force’s grant webpage.

Questions about the Housing Access for Justice-Involved Individuals Pilot Program may be sent to LEO-PovertyTaskForce@michigan.gov.