NorthJersey.com
New Jerseyans leaving prison may have a better chance of finding and securing a place to live after the state Senate and Assembly on Thursday passed the Fair Chance in Housing Act and sent it to Gov. Phil Murphy s desk, after months of negotiation with housing and civil rights groups and the state landlords association.
Murphy is expected to sign the bill.
The ban the box bill (A1919/S250) would bar potential landlords from asking about an applicant s criminal history before making a conditional offer to rent, removing a barrier that would otherwise likely exclude them from being considered.
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New Jerseyans leaving prison may have a better chance of finding and securing a place to live after the state Senate and Assembly on Thursday passed the Fair Chance in Housing Act and sent it to Gov. Phil Murphy s desk, after months of negotiation with housing and civil rights groups and the state landlords association.
Murphy is expected to sign the bill.
The ban the box bill (A1919/S250) would bar potential landlords from asking about an applicant s criminal history before making a conditional offer to rent, removing a barrier that would otherwise likely exclude them from being considered.
Though he peppered Jersey City landlords with a flurry of applications, future restaurant owner Candido Ortiz couldn’t find a place to live in the same city where he worked. Once landlords ran a background check, he would routinely be denied, or not hear back.
Ortiz had served 28 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possession of a firearm. In 2016, President Barack Obama commuted his close-to-50-year sentence, also granting clemency to hundreds of other federal inmates convicted of nonviolent drug crimes under previous harsh sentencing rules.
That didn t matter to landlords once they ran a background check on Ortiz. “At that point, they find out where you came from, so you don’t have to be too smart to know why they don’t give the place to you,” said Ortiz, 60.
Antlers at Vail Announces New Stay and Après-ski Lodging Package Offering Colorado Ski Vacation Guests Complimentary In-suite Charcuterie and Spirits
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Guests of the Antlers at Vail hotel in Vail, Colorado, this winter can enjoy a chef-prepared charcuterie board with wine or beer delivered to their condo suite to enjoy fireside for a safe and cozy après-ski scene. The new three-night Stay and Après Boards and Bottles lodging package concludes a day of Colorado skiing with a private Vail apres-ski experience in Antlers at Vail’s spacious guest condominiums.
Antlers at Vail new Stay and Après package offers guests complimentary chef-prepared charcuterie and wine or beer for a private après-ski scene in the Colorado hotel’s spacious condo suites.