This report compiled by the Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) of John Jay College of Criminal Justice to examine the growing market of privately owned, for-profit residences in New York City known as Three-Quarter Houses.
Three-Quarter Houses are defined as "one- or two-family homes, larger apartment buildings, or other structures that rent beds to single adults." According to New York City's current housing code, which bans the cohabitation of three or more unrelated persons, this living situation is illegal. These houses serve as a reentry point for many recently released offenders, providing an alternative to living on the street or in a homeless shelter. The residences are funded through public dollars because those who rent the rooms are usually on public assistance yet no government agency officially regulates or oversees the houses. Research conducted by PRI found the addresses for 371 known locations of these residences in New York City, with the majority of them concentrated in the city's poorest communities. The investigation revealed that almost 90 percent of 371 residences had building code complaints filed against them, with the largest violations being illegal conversions (66.9 percent), lacking certificates of occupancy (55.8 percent), and not having valid work permits (39.1 percent). Additional information included in this report deals with the personal health and safety of the residents, violations of the law by Three-Quarter House operators, violation of residences' rights, and the impediments to recovery and reintegration encountered by residents. The findings in this report indicate that Three-Quarter Houses fill a crucial need for a certain segment of the City's population and that many of the residents do not want the houses closed down. Instead, the findings suggest the need for government intervention and oversight to improve the conditions of the houses and expand affordable housing for those seeking to rebuild their lives. Endnotes and references