bold idea
Secure housing and economic stability for justice-involved individuals through advocacy, policy, and peer-to-peer support to prevent homelessness, reduce recidivism, and create pathways to homeownership.
organization overview
Housing discrimination and insecurity is the primary barrier to a successful reentry for justice-involved/formerly incarcerated individuals. Justice 4 Housing helps such individuals obtain stable housing and avoid homelessness. Following their Hands On Defense (HOD) Model, the Justice 4 Housing Peer Leaders craft and advocate for more equitable housing policies. These Peer Leaders, formerly affected by housing discrimination themselves, work to build paths to homeownership for justice-involved people of color, divesting from inequitable, discriminatory systems, returning not just resources but control over those resources to the individuals most affected by systemic racism.
Personal Bio
Leslie Credle, founder and executive director of Justice 4 Housing, works to dismantle antiquated and discriminatory housing policies that target justice-involved individuals and lead to homelessness, recidivism, and the separation of families. Committed to mentoring and movement building, she created a network of directly affected Peer Leaders to educate communities about the consequences of incarceration and housing insecurity. Leslie is the recipient of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition’s 2021 Peg Erlanger Leadership Award, presented by Congresswoman Ayanna Presley of Massachusetts. She is also a 2021 Fellow of Boston Women’s Foundation’s Women of Color Leadership Circle. Leslie is a fierce leader in the movement to end incarceration of women and girls. She is passionate about creating homeownership opportunities and building generational assets and equity in minority communities. Raised in Boston, her lived experience and the loss of her beloved daughter Brianna inspired her systems-change work and social justice advocacy. She has a B.A. from Northeastern University and is on the National Council’s #FreeHer Advisory Committee
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