How our programs keep people housed
As we near the halfway point of 2022, at Jesse Tree we're reflecting back on where are with all of our big goals. So far, we've prevented eviction for over 500 families and talked with over 2,000 tenants at risk of eviction.
How exactly do we prevent homelessness? This summer, we'll be offering a deep-dive series on our programs to explain!
Jesse Tree intervenes in the first stages of the eviction process. We provide tenants with information, support, and financial assistance.
That's the big picture. For now, we'll give you a quick primer on the first stage of our programs: the application.
People can apply for rental assistance at Jesse Tree by phone, text, email, or online. Our application helps us identify and triage the most urgent and vulnerable cases - usually people in the legal eviction process. Although we're being inundated with applications and can't pay rent for everyone, our phone line is fully staffed by volunteers. Every tenant who calls us receives information, referrals, and a supportive conversation.
Just this year, over 2,000 tenants at risk of eviction have applied to Jesse Tree. Because many folks normally struggle to apply for aid, we have worked to make our process as low barrier as possible. It is:
- Short, asking only the essentials. The average application takes 5-10 minutes to complete
- Transparent, explaining why we are requesting certain information
- Accessible, available in-person, by phone, or online and in different languages
- Trauma-informed, with volunteers and staff available to talk people through their situation and provide them with relevant information and support, and
- Collaborative, working with Our Path Home's Housing Crisis Hotline and Health & Welfare Navigation to take eviction calls as they come. You are welcome to check out our application here to see how it works!
Next month, we'll talk more about the case management process and the magic our staff work to prevent evictions in real time.