Experts on criminal recidivism are in consensus that housing instability is a <\/i>risk factor for reoffending. Academic studies and common sense find that justice-<\/i>involved individuals are more likely to suffer from financial stressors that would <\/i>allow them to qualify for and need public housing assistance. To curb the cyclical <\/i>nature of recidivism and housing instability, local and federal governments <\/i>should promote policies that support housing for criminal offenders. DCHA, and <\/i>more broadly, HUD, have public housing admission policies that are inconsistent <\/i>with best practices described by scholars and thus should be updated to foster <\/i>reintegration of offenders, divert people from the criminal legal system, and cre<\/i>ate a safer community for all. Current DCHA policies include strict rules pro<\/i>scribing admission to sex offenders and those with a history of illegal drug use, <\/i>with the goal of promoting a safe environment for residents. This Note argues <\/i>that by creating admissions policies that are more inclusive of sex and drug <\/i>offenses, DCHA could participate in disrupting the cyclical nature of housing <\/i>instability and the criminal legal system and better promote public safety for all <\/i>District of Columbia residents.<\/i><\/p>\n