Hilton N. Webb Jr. struggled to find housing for years in New York City because of a criminal conviction in his past.
He had documentation that restored his rights to full citizenship, including voting, but it didn’t help him with housing. Landlords would still run criminal background checks and reject his rental applications. It was a disheartening experience.
“Once you have done your time you are supposed to be restored to society,” said Webb, who earned a master’s degree in social work at Lehman College in the Bronx…