Oakland’s City Council has passed a new ordinance that aims to prohibit public and private landlords from inquiring about potential tenants’ criminal histories. Proponents of the Oakland Fair Chance Housing Ordinance hope it will act as a new catalyst in the battle to secure equal opportunities for the more than 70 million Americans burdened by criminal records. Since 1998, 35 states and more than 150 cities and counties have adopted “ban the box” laws that restrict both public and private employers from considering a prospective employee’s criminal history until after a job offer has been made. Laws that address housing discrimination are fairly new, with Seattle, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis adopting similar regulations.
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