In the first peer-reviewed published study to look specifically at the correlation of previous criminal history to housing retention, DESC Director of Housing Programs Daniel Malone determined that the presence of a criminal background did not predict housing failure. His findings suggest that policies and practices that keep homeless people with criminal records out of housing may be unnecessarily restrictive. See:
Assessing Criminal History as a Predictor of Future Housing Success for Homeless Adults With Behavioral Health Disorders – Psychiatric Services (Volume 60 | Issue 2, February 2009)