Friendly apartments for felons in New York

You’re a felon looking for a budget-friendly apartment in New York? I know getting an apartment can be a bit of a stressful venture. It takes time to search and look up places. Depending on the area, there are some requirements as well you have to meet. Stressful as it may seem, it is even more of a challenge for felons. So, how can one get friendly apartments for felons in New York?

Friendly Apartments For Felons In New York 2024

 

There seems to be an unspoken stigma or blemish that can come with a criminal record, especially in the housing sector. This article is to guide you through steps to take in searching for an apartment and how to take advantage of some resources you may not be aware are accessible to you to secure a place for yourself. There are a lot of websites and apps that can help you with your search, a few include www.streetEasy.com, www.triplemint.com, www.craigslist.org, www.compass.com, www.corcoran.com, and www.localize.city to name a few, but this is not the real reason you’re reading this if you are here right now.

It’s probably because you have been turned down a couple of times and you can’t shake that feeling. It’s because of your record, do not worry, there are ways that you can get out of that bind, I will list some of them below.  

 Prepare your rental application

Before you get an apartment, you expect to have your things in order; documents, bank statements, and financial records, whatever may be needed of you. Being a felon, you have to also anticipate this as well. This makes you appear serious and for the most part trustworthy so the owner will not have to start worrying if he can trust you to pay rent. This in a way lets him know that you plan and think ahead.

 Make use of government programs

For those unaware, there are nonprofit and government-sponsored programs that help rehabilitate, train, and counsel felons so they can acclimatize back into society, with skills to help them get back on their feet. These organizations sometimes offer to house you, though it may be short-term. 

Browse the internet for some of these programs, because at best they give you useful skills as well as assistance for the outside world, and at worse you have contacts and are reformed by societal standards. A few of these are Exodus, Providence House, The Fortune Society, The Doe Fund, The Gathering for Justice, the Get Out Stay Out (GOSO), and the list goes on.

Another available resource is the Housing Authority of NY. A variation of the HUD program, which allows felons the option of low-income housing. Though you need to make less than $50,000 a year to qualify as a single person.

To get as many options as possible, make sure to do extensive research on which building offers the kind of options that suit your needs, by going through NYC Housing Connect and NYC Housing Development Corporation. Another site that could help search out a place to stay at least temporarily is TransitionalHousing.org

 Have a great financial record

Before allowing a prospective tenant to take up residency, the owner is going to run a background check on the individual, a very extensive one. So, minus the need for honesty as to your record, it helps that you have a great record of paying your bills on time.

This signifies to the landlord that you will not be a source of headache or disturbance to them, and they can at least trust that your rent will not be late. Part of the worry they have is that you may not be able to retain the place in the long run and once they can get that fear or worry resolved? They are likely to give it to you. Nobody wants to hold on to a property that is not bringing income or revenue when they have the option of getting money for it. It also shows them that you are responsible enough to stay employed and afford the apartment you are applying for.

A letter from your boss could also help greatly improve your chances of securing the place. The landlord sees that you are responsible and are a contributing member of society, which puts his mind at ease that you will not be a source of worry.

Get help from those close to you

You can ask family, friends, or acquaintances if they have a place for you to stay or use them as character witnesses when searching for a place. Again, the goal is to ease the mind of the landlord and assure them that you will not be a source of concern or worry. Having testimonials by multiple people will to some level do that, it shows your social interaction, and that you have a support system. Meaning you can engage well with people and your neighbors which will maintain a safe and tranquil environment. 

Spreading the word out to your friends could also help you get a place based on social currency or the integrity of the friend or family, and if that fails you could share an apartment with them. 

Apply to houses that are run by one person and not a complex

When you deal with an organization or corporation, it can be a bit more difficult to get that one-on-one opportunity to plead your case. This is because they majorly have set up a system that runs everything, one that does not give customers easy access to the owners. Applications to houses run by an organization or complex is just more difficult. 

To these groups, property managers or real estate agents, when a felony record is flagged, the individual may not be given a chance to try and plead their case. They are easily dismissed, as opposed to an apartment owned by a single individual, you can get a chance to plead your case and give an impression to the landlord. You can hopefully get a better chance with landlords who don’t list their apartments with listing agents and may not be that motivated to run a background check as their goal is to quickly fill up their units and homes.

If you have the extra cash you could hire an agent or realtor, as experts they can easily find places that fit your needs, using their pool, experience, and resources which can speed up your apartment hunt. Though it may be more money, you can be assured that your chances of getting the place increase.

Don’t Search for apartments in popular areas

It is advisable to avoid popular regions that are hot and most coveted, these places can be very selective about the sort of residents and tenants they want living there, and this increases the chases of you getting rejected.

These areas are most likely going to take background checks seriously and might look for reasons to reject your application, especially when they know that there will be a constant stream of applicants looking to get the said apartment.

They are more incentivized to pick and choose who will get the place as they will mostly be big on community and pride in the individuals who reside in the area. Places like the Bronx; Parkchester and Fieldston are quite affordable or Briarwood and Lindenwood in Queens, as opposed to places like Hudson Yards, TriBeCa, or even SoHo.

Cheapest places to live In NY

Let’s be honest, re-entering society can be expensive and you may be looking for somewhere you can start from scratch, just till you find your feet. If that is what you need, these places are perfect for you to check out. Some of them include Ogdensburg, Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse. Life can be a little less pricey in these areas, a good place to start so you can save a bit while you work your way up.

If you follow these steps, your chances to secure an apartment are sure to be increased. Good luck and happy hunting.

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