MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- It can be hard finding affordable housing in Shelby County, but it's nearly impossible if you have a record. "At the age of 18, I was out gallivanting with a cousin," Darrell Anderson said. Anderson maintains his innocence the first time he was arrested and resulted in a brief, yet horrific stay at 201 Poplar. The details are too graphic for TV. "Changed my whole life. I lost me as a person," Anderson said. "I didn't return back home for a couple of years after that. I drifted. I really lost my mind. I didn't want to be around anybody. I wasn't a drug user. I stole to eat." Anderson says his rap sheet grew. "Then I became angry at the system. Anything could trigger me. I would fight. I would catch aggravated assault charges," Anderson said. One of those aggravated assault charges resulted in a 12-year sentence. It was during that time, he said he found his faith and vowed to change when he got out. He learned that wouldn't be easy when he returned to Memphis. "I came home, and I saw how my parents were. They were bad off," he said. "My father had four different types of cancer." It got even worse when Anderson couldn't find stable employment or even stable housing. No one wanted to hire or rent to a felon. "I can't rent to you. You're a felon. I can't rent to you," Anderson said. Finding affordable, stable housing is often one of the biggest challenges for someone leaving incarceration. They may be banned from returning home or they don't want to go back home and be around negative influences again. Then add the background checks most landlords require as part of the application process. With an affordable housing shortage in Memphis and Shelby County, someone with a felony record hardly stands a chance. "I was bound and determined. I was going to get an apartment and a job," Anderson said. "Not everyone is like that." He said he knows plenty who went back to their old ways. "It's virtually impossible, because the first thing people look at and ask, 'Do you have a conviction?' It's not your credit score. It's conviction," Shelby County Office of Reentry Director Deandre Brown said. "The no's are very debilitating. They crush you." Research shows nationwide, felons are 10 times more likely to be homeless. Brown said he and his office are working to prevent that. They were awarded a nearly $1 million federal grant as part of an effort to address barriers, help those recently released from incarceration find housing and encourage landlords to change their perspective. The money is expected to help 60 people find stable housing over the next three years, and covers extensive research. A team from the University of Memphis will follow those 60 people and other ex-offenders who didn't get help, so the community can determine how the money impacted housing stability, employment rates and recidivism rates. "Our individuals have the opportunity to gain places to reside, and then use that as a stepping stone to find employment," Brown said. Get the latest from the WREG Investigators in your inbox It's estimated 7,000 ex-offenders are released from prison each year and re-enter communities in Shelby County. WREG Investigators also found out Memphis police arrested around 17,000 people last year. They report 3,000 had already been arrested two or more times. According to the feds, Shelby County's recidivism rate is 24.5%. There's hope the grant money will lower that to just under 20 percent. "If we want a safe community, it is our responsibility to put forth some effort to give individuals chance to reclaim their lives," Brown said. "If they want to be different, why would we continue to hinder their growth? At the end of the day, all we want is a safer community." Anderson said his determination is what landed him in Brown's office. A team then connected him to housing and eventually, a good job. "God always makes a way," he said. He said he still leans on his faith. He owns his mistakes and owns his past. Now, he is leaving it to others to own theirs. "If we continue to not cultivate our leftovers, those incarcerated men and preserve them with the tools and resources to succeed, we failed our communities. We failed our future children," he said. NEXT: Woman’s wheelchair stolen from home, taking her freedom ► DO YOU NEED A STORY INVESTIGATED? WREG Investigators want to hear from you! Call our tip line at 901-543-2378. You can also send an email to [email protected].