MATTHEW'S STORY
Thank you for the opportunity to share the story behind The Upward Mobility Foundation Program. My name is Naomi Tharpe, and I developed this idea alongside my friend Matthew Charles. To truly understand the need for The Upward Mobility Foundation, you must first know Matthew’s story.
After serving 21 years of a 35-year sentence for a felony drug charge, Matthew was released in 2016 under the Fair Sentencing Act that reduced the disparity between crack and cocaine convictions. He made a remarkable return to society, finding a steady job that provided the means to rent an apartment and purchase a reliable car. He volunteered at a local food pantry, became an active church member and most importantly, reconnected with his family. Matthew was doing everything right. He was a productive, contributing, vital member of the Nashville community.
However, the US Department of Justice won an appeal overturning Matthew's early release due to a prior felony on his record. In May of 2018, Matthew returned to prison and lost everything he worked for during his two years of freedom. He was facing ten more years behind bars.
On December 21, 2018, the First Step Act, a breakthrough in criminal justice reform, was passed with bipartisan support. Two weeks later, on January 3, 2019, Matthew became the first person to be released under the First Step Act after an additional 276 days of incarceration. The following month, Matthew was invited as a guest of President Trump to attend The State of The Union address.
While Matthew and those closest to him were thrilled that he was home, we also knew that he had to rebuild his life a second time. While he was still in prison, Matthew asked if he could stay in my home once he was released. I agreed, knowing it would be temporary and he was capable of re-establishing himself. Within weeks Matthew had a dependable job and a car. However, finding a place to live proved to be a bigger challenge than we expected.
Matthew’s rental applications were being rejected because of his felony record. Despite being personally lauded by the President of The United States in front of a global audience, Matthew was deemed an unsuitable tenant by property management companies. Kim Kardashian, who learned of Matthew’s story while he was still incarcerated, heard about his struggle to find housing and offered to pay five years of rent in advance upon his application approval. Even with Kim’s generous offer, renters still rejected Matthew.
While this was happening, I began to worry if I could be evicted for letting someone with a felony record live with me. I knew Matthew wouldn’t cause any problems, but would my landlord feel the same way? Did I unknowingly breach my rental agreement?
It took months but eventually with Kim’s help, Matthew did find an owner who understood his circumstances and accepted his rental application. Now that Matthew had a place, I began wondering about other people in his situation struggling to find a place to live. How likely are they to return to prison if they aren't able to find affordable housing when they're released? What programs exist to help the people wanting to make the most of their second chance?
That's when Matthew and I came up with the Upward Mobility Foundation. It's an ambitious project that addresses two critical problems the formerly incarcerated face when re-entering society: securing housing and transportation.