Berkeley, California, is introducing legislation that would eliminate housing barriers for people like Lee “Taqwaa” Bonner, who, after being paroled three years ago following a 35-year prison sentence, has faced difficulties in securing housing. Bonner, who first tried moving in with his sister and then his mother, was up against bans that prevented people with felony convictions from living in their units. The ordinance will remove criminal background checks from most rental units throughout the city, barring landlords from conducting them.
