“The process is simple, at least in theory. Would-be tenants are taken through an extensive screening and matching process, asked about everything from bedtimes to pet peeves, cooking preferences and drug habits. Once a pair is matched, they meet. If that goes well, the housemates sign a six-month agreement.The funding comes from a mix of private donations and state grants, said project director Bernadette Butler.Six years into the program, more than 130 former inmates have finished and found permanent housing. According to the Homecoming Project website, about 95% graduate from the program with a job or enrolled in school or workforce training. None have returned to prison.””In the coming weeks, they plan to make a presence known to Long Beach: church visits, community meetings, farmers markets. Ashley McKay, a program associate with Impact Justice, said she spent the day going door to door, stuffing fliers into mailboxes. “I was the mailman for four days,” she joked, adding she recently found that Long Beach had 115 neighborhood associations.”
