A Game-Changing Approach to Homelessness
Everyone deserves a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. The Renew Collaborative represents HomeStart’s innovative approach to preventing homelessness before it starts—a social innovation that disrupts the way we think about eviction prevention.
Each year, millions of Americans are evicted from their homes, with devastating consequences that go beyond housing. In Massachusetts alone, nearly two out of three households evicted for nonpayment are residents of subsidized, affordable housing, with an average arrears of just $2,000. When these vulnerable families lose their homes, they often lose access to subsidies forever and are barred from the emergency shelter system for three years—creating a cycle of poverty and instability that impacts health, employment, education, and family well-being.
“Every year in this country, people are evicted from their homes not by the tens of thousands or even the hundreds of thousands but by the millions.”
The Renew Collaborative is built on a compelling economic reality: the cost of enforcing a non-payment eviction in Massachusetts is three to five times more expensive than preventing one. This means that landlords can actually save money by supporting eviction prevention programs like ours. By aligning economic incentives with social impact, we create a sustainable model that benefits everyone—families, landlords, and communities.
Our short-term intensive program provides case management, one-time rental assistance, and 12 months of post-crisis stabilization services. The results speak for themselves: 95% of the families we serve avoid eviction 36 months after our intervention. It’s not just about preventing homelessness—it’s about creating lasting housing stability for the most vulnerable members of our community.
THE SOCIAL CATALYST
–Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City – 2016
BEYOND BOSTON
Our vision is that all of our country’s working poor or families with subsidies would be protected from eviction and homelessness when unexpected life circumstances threaten their housing stability.
“This program could effectively eliminate family homelessness by eviction for both
the country’s working poor and families
with subsidies.
It is novel, efficient, and most of all,
it works.”
(Matthew Desmond, Author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City – 2016)
What began as a local solution in Greater Boston has proven its potential for national replication. Having introduced the programs to three other markets in Massachusetts and a replication project in Cincinnati, now, we’re expanding to Denver and working with partners across the country to scale this innovative approach. Our vision is bold but achievable: to protect all of our nation’s working poor and the families they support from eviction and homelessness when unexpected circumstances threaten their housing stability.
Most importantly, the program works!
As Matthew Desmond, author of "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City," noted: "This program could effectively eliminate family homelessness through evictions for both the working poor and families on benefits. It is new, effective, and most importantly, it works." The Renew Collaborative is more than an eviction prevention program—it is a path to ending family homelessness by way of eviction through innovation, partnerships, and proven results. Join us in transforming the way America addresses housing instability, one family at a time.
How Can You Be Part of the Solution? There are several ways to get involved. You can directly support our work through a donation, and if you're a property owner or community leader, you can contact the Renew Collaborative about bringing this transformative program to your area.
HomeStart’s Renew Collaborative
EXPANDS TO DENVER, Preventing Evictions
& Keeping Families Housed
"At HomeStart, we are committed to preventing homelessness before it begins. Bringing the Renew Collaborative to Denver is an opportunity to put that commitment into action in a new city. We’re grateful to work alongside GreenLight Fund Denver and local partners who share our belief that keeping families stably housed is both urgent and possible. This program works within many contexts and for many types of property owners.”
- Matt Pritchard
President & Executive Director, Homestart
UPENN'S Center For High Impact Philanthropy
Highlights HomeStart's Renew Collaborative
Thank You to our Renew Collaborative Supporters:
