Barriers to Housing No One Talks About
With housing insecurity, the visible issues, like rising rent, long waitlists, and a lack of affordable units tend to come to mind. These are real problems, and they matter, but there’s another side to the housing crisis that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: the invisible paperwork barriers that keep people locked out of housing altogether.
At AHA, we work every day with clients who are ready and willing to move forward, only to get stuck at a surprising roadblock. It’s not always money. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle is a missing ID, a credit score that doesn’t exist, or a stack of documents that no one ever helped them replace.
These barriers are rarely talked about outside of service provider circles. But they’re some of the most common, and the most frustrating, challenges our clients face.
Missing Identification
A government-issued photo ID is required for almost every part of the housing process. Landlords and property managers use it to verify identity. It’s required to apply for housing subsidies. It’s necessary for background checks, financial aid, employment, and sometimes even more.
But what if you’ve lost your ID, or never had one in the first place?
For individuals who’ve been recently incarcerated, living unsheltered, fleeing domestic violence, aging out of foster care, or navigating mental health crises, keeping track of documents isn’t always possible. Replacing them isn’t simple, either. The process usually requires transportation, payment, and in some cases, proof of other documents they don’t have.
It’s a catch-22: you need an ID to get housing, but you need stable housing to safely store your ID. And without it, the system often treats you like you don’t exist.
Minimal or Nonexistent Credit Histories
Landlords typically run credit checks on potential tenants. But what happens when someone doesn’t have a credit history at all?
Many of our clients don’t use traditional banks or credit cards. Some have had limited income for years. Others have intentionally avoided credit after prior debt spirals.
This often leads to automatic denials, even when the person has proof of income, positive references, or a clean record.
Credit scores are meant to be a measure of financial responsibility, but for many, they’re more a measure of access. Without opportunities to build credit, people are excluded from housing they might otherwise qualify for.
Unpaid Fines and Court Fees
Another quiet but common barrier: unpaid traffic tickets, court fines, or parking violations.
These fees can snowball over time, especially if someone has been unhoused or struggling with transportation access. In some cases, they result in a suspended license, which makes getting to housing appointments, job interviews, or even the DMV nearly impossible.
In other cases, the debt shows up during tenant screenings and becomes grounds for denial, even when unrelated to prior housing.
Past Evictions or Broken Leases
We’ve seen clients denied housing for a single eviction that happened years ago, sometimes under circumstances entirely out of their control.
It might have been caused by a job loss, a medical crisis, or a partner who left without notice. In many cases, the client was never even taken to court. But the mark remains on their rental history.
Some landlords and property management companies have blanket policies that automatically disqualify anyone with an eviction on their record, regardless of how much time has passed or how much stability they’ve built since.
People can change. Circumstances can change. But housing systems often don’t.
Lack of Rental History
Some people have never had a lease in their own name. They may have lived with family, couch surfed, or stayed in temporary shelters. For young adults aging out of foster care or clients reentering society after incarceration, there may be no rental history at all.
This lack of documentation becomes its own form of exclusion. Without a paper trail, clients are seen as risky, even when they’ve done everything right.
No Access to Computers
Applying for housing is no longer a paper process. Nearly every application is online. So are ID replacement forms, background checks, housing lotteries, and medical documentation portals.
If you don’t have reliable internet access, a working phone, or digital literacy, you’re at a serious disadvantage. And if you’ve ever tried to upload a document to a government site from an old smartphone with a cracked screen, you know how difficult it can be.
These are not moral failings. They are systemic barriers.
How AHA Helps Clients Navigate These Challenges
At AHA, we understand that “just apply” is not a realistic path to housing. That’s why we provide hands-on help with the details that too often derail the process.
We assist clients with:
ID replacement and navigating vital records systems
Accessing phones, internet, or technology support
Filling out digital housing applications and forms
Providing computers our clients can borrow
Advocating with landlords or property managers who have rigid policies
Connecting to legal aid and tenant rights resources
And more
We don’t expect clients to come to us with everything already in place. That’s why we’re here to bridge those gaps.
At AHA, we believe in removing obstacles, not adding more. We believe in meeting people where they are, even when the system doesn’t. And we believe that no one should be denied a safe place to live because of paperwork they never had the chance to collect. If you need help finding housing in Orange or Los Angeles Counties, contact us today!
