Housing and Justice System Connections
CSH partners with communities to plan, build, and manage supportive housing for people who have been in jail or prison so they can stay out of the justice system and rebuild their lives.
The Problem: Too often, communities respond to homelessness—especially among justice‑involved people—with costly, punitive systems instead of fair, supportive housing. Housing instability is a major barrier to successful reentry, increasing the risk of recidivism and perpetuating cycles of homelessness, untreated mental health needs, and addiction. Formerly incarcerated people face significant exclusion from housing, harming individuals, families, and communities while wasting public resources.
The Solution: Communities can reduce homelessness and improve public safety by investing in supportive housing with services instead of relying on arrest and incarceration. CSH demonstrates that people with incarceration histories can thrive as tenants when connected to stable housing and supports—lowering recidivism, reducing costly crises, and strengthening communities. Proven initiatives like FUSE and Returning Home Ohio show how housing can break cycles of homelessness and justice involvement.
What do we mean by “carceral” system?
The term “carceral system” is a far more accurate but less widely used or understood than the term “Criminal Justice System.” According to UC Berkeley’s Underground Scholars Language Guide, it’s best understood as a comprehensive network of systems that rely, at least in part, on the exercise of state-sanctioned physical, emotional, spatial, economic, and political incarceration. These systems include formal institutions such as law enforcement and the courts (i.e., jails and prisons), surveillance and data mining technology, and more.
CSH’s Justice Initiatives, Case Studies, and Housing Interventions
We collaborate across sectors to break the cycle of justice-system involvement.
CSH has worked alongside communities for decades as they have constructed models to expand housing access for people impacted by the justice system.
Below are some examples of CSH’s justice initiatives, case studies, and housing interventions that we have worked on over the years.
Returning Home Ohio and Community Transition Program
These programs connect people exiting the state’s prison system with supportive housing through a partnership between CSH and Ohio state agencies. For more than 10 years, the results have been outstanding with the vast majority of those in supportive housing never returning to jail. CSH is currently working with agencies in other states to bring this highly effective program to communities across the country.
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FUSE (Frequently Used System Engagement)
CSH’s FUSE initiative helps communities break the cycle of homelessness and crisis among individuals with complex behavioral health challenges. Without supportive housing, communities rely on costly crisis systems—emergency rooms, jails, shelters—to respond to individuals who cycle through them repeatedly. FUSE helps shift this pattern with supportive housing that offers stability and long-term savings.
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Homeless Response Consulting and Non-Partisan Policy Solutions
We help communities move beyond costly and punitive responses—like fines, arrests, and encampment sweeps—by designing timely, cost-effective strategies that prioritize housing and public safety. Our tailored consulting and policy framework supports governments, service providers, and cross-system partners in building data-informed, community-driven solutions to homelessness.
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Case Studies of Our Work
Justice Involved Supportive Housing
The Justice Involved Supportive Housing (JISH) provides service and operating funding for housing and service providers who serve individuals with histories of homelessness, and behavioral health needs cycling through the justice system.
Hi-Five Initiative
This pilot program serves Philadelphians with a mental illness who are cycling between the justice system and homelessness, by providing affordable, supportive housing and service interventions such as mental health case management and counseling.
Denver Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative
Urban Institute published results of a rigorous five-year program in Denver, CO, that deployed the Social Impact Bond (SIB) model with randomly selected participants divided into intervention (receiving housing and services) and control groups. At the end of the study, 77% of the more than 700 individuals in the intervention group remained stably housed and had notably reduced interactions with the justice system.
Fortune Castle Gardens
Fortune Castle Gardens, located in Harlem, New York, combines permanent supportive and affordable housing, serving both justice-impacted individuals and community members with low incomes.
Embedding Lived Experience
Lived expertise is central to all the work we do. By embedding lived experience in our work, we centralize the voices of those most impacted by homelessness and involvement in systems to help design solutions that address the root causes of homelessness and enable dignity. CSH programs such as Speak Up! aim to raise the voices and wisdom of people with lived experiences of homelessness, justice involvement, and mental illness.
