Molly Justice
Director of Communications & Marketing
(757) 259-1564
New national report shows diversion programs lower evictions, increase appearance rates
Williamsburg, Va. (Dec. 10) -- Close to 90 percent of eviction cases in diversion programs are resolved without judgments against the tenant, according to a new interim report from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).
Fewer eviction judgments, higher appearance rates, stronger connections to community resources, and more sealed eviction records are among the outcomes identified by NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) during its work with 24 local and state courts.
“We find that all parties benefit when courts build time, information and resources into the eviction process,” said EDI Project Director Samira Nazem. “Eviction diversion not only addresses the immediate legal crisis but also helps landlords and tenants avoid the long-term consequences of eviction that can negatively affect them, their families, and their communities.”
NCSC launched its Eviction Diversion Initiative in 2021 to help courts respond to the nation’s growing eviction crisis by bringing community resources and other problem-solving strategies into the court process. Support from the Wells Fargo Foundation and Bank of America Foundation provided funding for staff and technical assistance to develop or enhance court-based eviction diversion programs and court improvements across 17 states and the District of Columbia.
Demographics & societal impacts
In “Reimagining Housing Court: A Framework for Court-Based Eviction Diversion,” NCSC finds that about 80 percent of the more than 7,000 program participants identify as non-white, with all but four sites reporting that the majority of tenants identified as African American or Black. Additional findings show that the risk of eviction disproportionately impacts women and children. Project sites also report a significant number of tenants with at least one household member with a physical or mental disability.
Diversion creates trust in the justice system
In addition to fewer eviction judgments, higher appearance rates and more sealed eviction records, the report shows ways diversion creates stronger connections to community resources and increases trust and confidence in the justice system. While program facilitators bridge the gap to fulfill participants’ direct and indirect needs, they also work with courts to make the court process easier to access and navigate.
Discover more interim findings from NCSC’s multi-year eviction diversion project at ncsc.org/edireport.