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Family Reentry Program

A path for Delawareans with a recent history in the criminal justice system to reunite with close family living in housing subsidized by one of Delaware’s five Public Housing Authorities.

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About the Delaware Family Reentry Program

The program is designed to allow Delawareans who have a recent history of involvement with the criminal justice system an opportunity to reunite with close family members who are living in housing subsidized by one of Delaware’s five Public Housing Authorities (PHAs).

What is the purpose?

Recognizing that returning citizens can face many challenges upon reentering society, and that housing instability is one of the primary predictors of recidivism, the following partners have agreed to administer the Family Reentry Program in a spirit of collaboration so that returning citizens may regain housing stability and rebuild their lives with the support of their families:

  • Delaware State Housing Authority
  • Dover Housing Authority
  • New Castle County Housing Authority
  • Newark Housing Authority
  • Wilmington Housing Authority
  • the Delaware Department of Correction
  • the Delaware Center for Justice

How to participate

  • Start here: call your Probation and Parole Officer, or the Delaware Center for Justice at (302) 658-7174, to see if you may qualify to participate in the Family Reentry Program.
  • Family members who are residing in PHA-assisted housing and believe their loved one may be eligible to participate should contact their Public Housing Authority.

Public Housing Authority contacts

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Family Reentry Program, applicants must meet the criteria outlined below:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status. Eligible immigrants are persons who are in one of the immigrant categories as specified for HUD programs. The status of each member of the family is considered individually before the family’s status is defined.
  • Must be a resident of the State of Delaware.
  • Must have been recently released from incarceration, OR have been in the community for less than three (3) years either following a period of incarceration, or following the commission of an offense which did not result in incarceration, but would otherwise result in the applicant not being admitted into PHA-assisted housing under existing tenant screening policies.
  • Must have a family member or members residing in a housing unit assisted by one of the five participating PHAs. For the purposes of this program, “family” is defined as the applicant having a close relationship (parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, spouse, domestic partner) with the primary leaseholder prior to the conviction for the offense which resulted in their being excluded from PHA-assisted housing.
  • Must be identified and referred to one of the five participating PHAs for FRP assistance by the Department of Correction (DOC) or by a DOC-approved provider.

Eligible applicants will be permitted to remain as a guest of the PHA-assisted household for a period of one or two years. During this time, the participant will not be an official party to the lease, and their income will not be included in the household subsidy calculation. After the one- or two-year period is completed, the FRP participant may request to officially be added to the PHA’s lease with the household.

Questions about this program?

Contact Housing Delaware or reach the Delaware Center for Justice at (302) 658-7174, with questions about the Family Reentry Program.