The Jesse Tree of Idaho
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Mission Statement
Jesse Tree leads the Treasure Valley on preventing eviction and homelessness by supporting our neighbors at risk of housing loss, empowering them to stay in their homes.
About This Cause
Jesse Tree is the Treasure Valley’s only eviction and homelessness prevention-focused organization. We offer support, education, affordable housing navigation, and rental and security deposit assistance to keep our neighbors housed during a financial crisis and empower them to find stability. Jesse Tree was founded 22 years ago out of direct conversations and guidance from people experiencing homelessness. Our founders talked to people living outside and uncovered the same pattern in each person they spoke with: they had experienced a temporary financial crisis, lacked support needed to stay in their home, and were evicted. The solution was obvious: if people had received support during their crisis, they never would have experienced homelessness in the first place. In 1999, our founders pooled funding to create the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program to provide financial assistance to low-income renters at risk of becoming homeless. Since then, the ERA program has supported over 3,300 families and 9,000 individuals, administering almost $3 million in rental assistance. Communities in the Treasure Valley are experiencing a worsening housing crisis. The cost of rent is growing faster in Boise than in any other city in America, but wages are not increasing at the same rate. This leaves many families housing cost-burdened and one unanticipated financial shortfall away from being unable to pay rent and at imminent risk of eviction. Last year brought us another crisis, in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, many of our neighbors lost employment and were burdened by additional health and/or childcare costs. This left our already vulnerable low-income families in an increasingly precarious financial position and at-risk of eviction and homelessness. Calls for assistance to Jesse Tree tripled beginning in March of 2020 and this heightened demand continues. Homelessness in the Treasure Valley could become like many other urban centers in the U.S. if we don’t act fast. In 2020, 824 evictions were filed in Ada County Court and over 3,500 of our neighbors became homeless for the first time in their lives. Most of these evictions occurred due to a family’s temporary inability to pay rent. The impact of homelessness, both on individuals and the community, is endless. When a person loses their home and has no place to do daily basic activities such as shower, sleep, or do laundry, it becomes increasingly difficult to find new housing or maintain an income. People without homes routinely lose sleep and have an increase in health problems. When a household has an eviction on their record and is experiencing homelessness, it is much more difficult - financially and logistically - for them to identify new housing, and the experience of being homeless can cause traumatizing effects that last a lifetime. By preventing families from becoming homeless, we prevent negative health outcomes for our neighbors, as well as provide thousands of dollars in cost savings to our community. It costs us $2,000, on average, to keep a family stably housed. In contrast, it costs $5-10,000 to house a family that's already homeless, and each person that's experiencing homelessness costs our community $53,000 per year in supportive services. By investing in prevention with Jesse Tree you give your low-income neighbors the support and resources to find financial stability and to remain safely in their homes. If you or anyone you know needs help paying rent or is at risk of eviction please call Jesse Tree's Tenant Resource Center at 208-383-9486 or apply for assistance online at www.jessetreeidaho.org/apply.