The overview of Jesse Tree is at https://www.jessetreeidaho.org/. The details of their Badge program are at https://www.jessetreeidaho.org/sign-up-for-workshops. They promote eviction prevention through rental assistance, mediation services, and working with property owners. A quote from their homepage:
It costs $1,000 on average for Jesse Tree to keep a family housed, compared to $5-10,000 for a family to find new housing after being evicted.
Evictions also result in significant costs to the property owner. TransUnion found in a 2014 study that “the true cost of an eviction can range from $3,500 up to $10,000” TransUnion infographic on eviction costs.
Between the cost incurred by the renter and the cost incurred by the property owner, as well as hidden costs incurred by the community such as the impact on MPS, evictions have a significant economic impact on the community
The Jesse Tree Badge workshops remind me of the 1990s UW-Extension “Good Neighbor/Good Tenant Program” for Milwaukee County residents. HACM, Milwaukee County, and the City of West Allis provided the funding. It was a $52,500 County budget item in 1995.
The UW program provided training to renters with evictions or no rental history. Renters that completed the program were given a partial move money grant. More importantly, the program had a rent guarantee for the first year of the tenancy that would pay a month of rent if the renter failed to pay. With what was in essence, two months security, owners were more likely to take a chance on a renter that would not otherwise meet screening criteria. Owners that participated had to offer certificate holders a special deal. I think most owners gave a 25/month discount if the rent was paid by the 5th.
My company was a participating owner in the Good Neighbor/Good Tenant Program. I considered the program successful.
