He's met the governor.

He's met the president.

He travels the country lobbying for "smarter prison sentencing."

Yet, Matthew Charles — a Tennessee man who was released from prison under a criminal justice reform law signed by President Donald Trump in December — is having trouble finding a place to rent in Nashville.

Charles was released from prison Jan. 3 under a new law known as the First Step Act, which allows judges to retroactively apply the drug sentencing reforms of the Fair Sentencing Act.

Since then, he said he's bought a car, been staying with a friend in the city's River Glen neighborhood and found full-time employment with Families Against Mandatory Minimums — a nonprofit advocacy group seeking to create "a more fair and effective justice system that respects our American values of individual accountability and dignity while keeping communities safe," according to its website.

On Tuesday, Charles applied to rent a town home at Forest Park Apartments in Madison.

The complex denied his application Thursday.

"We regret that we were unable to approve your request," a letter addressed to Charles from the leasing agency reads. "This leasing recommendation is because of one or more applicant's prior criminal history or rental housing related civil record history."

"I’m pretty distraught about it because it’s not allowing me to have a full second chance," Charles told the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee on Friday.

Financially, he said, he’s unable to buy a home at this point.

Amy Jan, a manager for Forest Parks Apartments, said she could not comment on Charles' specific application.

But she said all applications are based on credit, income and criminal history, so if any of those categories are flagged, it affects whether a person's lease will be approved.

She also said the complex's policy is not to rent to felons with violent offenses on their rap sheet.

Charles, who was convicted of a non-violent drug offense, said he's looked at just over a dozen apartments or town homes in the past few weeks, but only applied at Forest Park Apartments because it was the one that fit his needs best.

"I’m (just) looking for a two-bedroom apartment or home that’s affordable," Charles said. "But because a lot aren’t felony-friendly, and I’ve been gone for 22 years and didn’t have any credit, they are just among the obstacles felons face coming back into society."

Par for the course

In 1996, Charles was sentenced to 35 years in prison on drug-related offenses. Soon after, he found God, taught GED classes and became a law clerk in prison.

In 2015, a former federal judge agreed Charles deserved a shortened sentence. As a result, he was released one year later. He did not re-offend. An appeals court reversed the judge's ruling, and he was ordered to serve a full 35 years behind bars. As he prepared to return to prison in 2018, his case received national attention.

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, who has worked extensively on expungement efforts for cases just like Charles', said he isn't alone in his plight.

It happens all too often, she said.

"The big concerns when you are talking about ex-offenders being able to get back on their feet are housing, transportation and job security," Akbari said Friday. "Coming out (of prison) you have little to no opportunity to build credit."

"The law at both the federal and state level makes it very hard for an ex-felon to obtain subsidized housing, which is self-defeating if the goal is to reduce recidivism," Vanderbilt University law professor Christopher Slobogin said.

Akbari said transitional housing is one area where the hole can potentially be filled.

"There are some places in my end of the state that help fill that gap, but it's just not enough to help people fully transition into being a fully functioning member of society," Akbari said. "I know plenty of ex-offenders who have a partnership with churches or other community groups that will mentor and provide support to help the transition so convicts don't end back up in prison."

"Maybe," Akbari added, "it comes down to employers overlooking the criminal background, saying, 'I'm going to give this person a chance.'"

Especially when it comes to non-violent offenders like Charles, she said.

Friends reaching out

Nashville resident Tim Hardiman, a good friend of Charles, expressed frustration at the lease denial.

"He was incarcerated for 22 years on a non-violent felony drug charge and therefore doesn’t have a credit rating, nor is he in debt," Hardiman posted on Instagram Thursday. "My point is, no matter how far someone has come their past can remain an obstacle."

Hardiman spoke more about Charles and his situation on Friday.

"Matthew has managed to overcome incredible odds to become a productive member of society," Hardiman said. "When he was released from prison in 2016, Matthew managed to find steady employment, reliable transportation and a place to live while he was reconnecting with his family and volunteering regularly in the community.

"After spending an additional 234 days in prison last year, it's frustrating that Matthew is facing the same challenges all over again. It's a shame that a man who was the president's guest at the State of the Union Address can also be denied an apartment because of mistakes he made decades ago."

Anyone who knows someone with rental property with a budget around $850 can contact Hardiman at hardimantim@gmail.com.

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Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.