The returning neighbors program, led by the shelby county office of reentry (SCOR), seeks to provide safe, affordable housing, and comprehensive services to individuals upon release

This federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.812 - Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative) provides $999,101 to the Shelby County Government in Memphis, Tennessee to operate the Returning Neighbors Program. The program aims to reduce recidivism rates in Memphis and Shelby County by providing safe, affordable housing and comprehensive reentry services to justice-involved individuals upon release from incarceration. Key program elements include pre-release partnerships with the Shelby County Division of Corrections, post-release services through local providers, and a randomized control trial involving at least 200 participants to evaluate the impact of housing support on recidivism, employment, and housing stability. The Returning Neighbors Program also includes objectives to convene a task force to address policy barriers to stable housing, expand housing options, and develop affordable housing solutions. The Center for Research in Educational Policy at the University of Memphis will serve as the third-party evaluator for the initiative. The award period runs from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.

The initiative plans to reduce recidivism rates in memphis and shelby county by mitigating barriers to obtaining stable housing and employment. This initiative will operate pre-release through partnerships with the shelby county division of corrections and post-release leverage local programs, such as hope credit union, lifeline to success, and the hospitality hub, to provide safe and affordable housing and a continuum of care that includes vocational training, employment opportunities, and wrap-around services. The program will demonstrate the impact of providing housing support on recidivism, employment, and housing stability using a randomized control trial with at least 200 participants. Through this project, SCOR aims to establish that housing placements are integral to providing the stability and support needed to reintegrate successfully into the community. Although the population served by this program focuses on justice-involved individuals, the results will impact memphis and shelby county broadly. Objectives for the returning neighbors program include convening a task force to assess and address policy barriers related to the challenges in obtaining stable housing post-release, expanding partnerships to increase housing options for placements, and developing affordable housing solutions. Deliverables include task force engagement and documentation of policy barriers, an action plan to increase housing placements and reduce recidivism, implementation of housing support for job preparation and reentry services within scdc, and continuous implementation. The center for research in educational policy (CREP) at the university of memphis, the third-party evaluator, will evaluate the extent to which providing housing support pre and post-release impacts annual and three-year housing stability rates, employment rates, and recidivism rates for project INK participants. IT will also assess if the program's implementation was conducted with fidelity. This proposal underscores the collective responsibility of memphis and shelby county to support justice-involved individuals to foster a safer, more just community. Through the returning neighbors program, the anticipated result is a reduction in shelby coutys recidivism rate from 24.5% to 19.5% over three years. SCOR and its partners aim to create a sustainable, scalable model for reentry that addresses systemic barriers, increases access to stable housing, and reduces recidivism rates.