Why eviction diversion?
The far-reaching impacts of eviction
Evictions disrupt families, threatening their financial security and jeopardizing education and employment. While eviction harms all groups, its impacts fall disproportionately on women and children, black and African American communities, and people with disabilities.
Evictions also create serious issues for housing providers who must navigate costly and time-consuming legal proceedings while keeping up properties and paying mortgages.
While evictions start outside the court system, courts play a crucial role in shaping outcomes.
A better way forward
The disruptions caused by the pandemic allowed courts to experiment with new approaches, including stronger emphasis on rental assistance, mediation, and legal aid programs.
These innovations showed what was possible when courts took an active role in preventing housing instability.
Our Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) builds on these lessons, aiming to make diversion programs a core part of the court system.
"What we've been able to show is that these are not just pandemic response programs. Courts can do things differently," said Project Director Samira Nazem.
The Eviction Diversion Initiative has enabled us to take a step back to examine the issue of stable housing from a global perspective. We no longer have silos operating separately, as this grant has allowed many willing agencies to band together for a common goal.
Tanya Todd
Michigan 61st District Court
Making eviction diversion work for your community
Court-based eviction diversion programs operate within or adjacent to the formal court process to provide litigants with the time, information, and resources to resolve disputes in a less harmful way. While there is no one right way to design a program, there are three elements that are critical to the success of any program.
It was a big blessing. It opened up plenty of doors for me.
Randy Ward
Retired Las Vegas bus driver who avoided homelessness with help from the EDI
Court-based eviction diversion FAQs
How we can help your court
Our team can develop a custom eviction diversion strategy to suit your needs. We offer expertise in creating self-help materials, expanding outreach through community partners, and enhancing accessibility and cutting down wait times.
Eviction Diversion Initiative
We're helping housing courts improve their processes to better meet community needs and create lasting solutions.