Jacksonville, Florida’s Eviction Diversion Program Increased Housing Stability for Participants
Nov 17, 2025
By Katie Renzi, NLIHC State and Local Research Intern
In October, the Jacksonville, Florida City Council’s Neighborhoods Committee heard from facilitators of the city’s Eviction Diversion Program, who reported on the program's outcomes. The Jacksonville Eviction Diversion Program, established in January 2024, operates by providing landlords with payment for up to three months of past-due rent to avoid filing an eviction or to withdraw a filing against an eligible household that has applied for assistance through the program. The program’s primary goals are to reduce evictions and keep participants housed for at least six months. Melanie Patz, CEO of United Way of Northeast Florida, one of the organizations implementing the program, shared that of the 383 families that participated in the program since its inception, 84% remained stably housed six months after receiving assistance. Melanie added that the program has saved the city roughly $5.2 million in spending programs supporting unhoused individuals, compared to the $1.8 million spent by the program thus far.
The Jacksonville Eviction Diversion Program was made possible through a partnership among the city, the circuit court, and three nonprofit organizations, including the United Way of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA), and The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services (JFCS). United Way of Northeast Florida is a community advocacy organization providing support for households with financial insecurity, particularly those considered “asset limited, income constrained, and employed (ALICE),” and who make more than the poverty guidelines but less than what is required for affording basic needs. JALA is a non-profit law firm that provides low-cost legal assistance to low-income households across 17 counties in Northeast Florida. JFCS is a Jacksonville-based non-profit organization that provides a variety of education, financial assistance, and counseling programs for families and seniors.
As noted, the program aims not only to reduce the number of evictions in the city but also to make the program accessible to households in need. Households can apply for the program through the city’s website, be flagged as eligible by the circuit court, or be referred by one of the non-profits participating in the program, who can also simultaneously provide other forms of assistance based on need. Additional services may include job training, relocation assistance, and other social support programs. As a legal aid organization, JALA, in tandem with the support offered through the program, also provides case management and guidance for families navigating the court process, serving as a liaison between other nonprofits and the circuit court. JFCS collaborates with the aforementioned groups to conduct ongoing due diligence checks, ensuring that program funds aren’t being used fraudulently by recipients. However, this has not been an issue for the program since its inception.
Eligibility for Jacksonville’s Eviction Diversion Program is limited, and those administering the program acknowledge that need drastically outpaces capacity. Applicants must be actively delinquent on rent or utilities, and the amount owed can’t exceed three months in rental costs. Households must also document a steady history of satisfactory rent payments prior to a temporary reduction in household income and demonstrate an ability to afford future rent payments. Eligibility is also restricted to households with a resident under the age of 18 or over the age of 60, a veteran, or someone with a disability, and with incomes at or below the ALICE standards set by United Way’s sister research organization, United for ALICE.
In addition to tenants meeting these criteria, landlords must consent to participating in the program and submit information pertaining to the owner’s business registration, the tenant’s lease, and the records of court notices and proceedings, if applicable. If approved, the program writes a check directly to the landlord for the rent amount owed, and if an eviction has been filed, the landlord agrees to withdraw the complaint with prejudice.
Programs seeking to divert evictions are especially needed in Duval County, where Jacksonville is located. The county is known as the eviction capital of Florida, with higher eviction filings per capita than anywhere else in the state. In 2023, the year before the program’s implementation, Duval County had 91.8 eviction filings per 1,000 renter households, significantly higher than the counties of other major cities like Orlando (Orange County) at 67.5, Tampa (Hillsborough County) at 66, and Miami (Miami-Dade County) at 42.5. Per capita eviction filings in Duval County did see a decrease to 81.8 in 2024, yet filings still remain higher than any other county in Florida.
Evictions can have disastrous impacts on households and their well-being. In the short term, increased stress worsens the mental and physical health of householders, increasing symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Displaced households face increased difficulties when attempting to find new housing due to stigmas around evictions, a barrier that can last years, forcing households to stay in homes with substandard conditions. These impacts are especially harmful to children, who experience increased sleep disturbances, poor mental health, and negative behaviors due to housing instability. The short- and long-term effects of evictions constitute a concern to public health and require broad interventions to reduce the number of households affected.
Despite the program's success, its future remains uncertain. The Jacksonville City Council recently cut all $500,000 in funding for the program from Mayor Donna Deegan’s budget proposal, along with millions of additional dollars in funding for other affordable housing programs. While the program’s funding for 2025 and 2026 came from Mayor Deegan’s mayoral transitional funding, continuing the program into 2027 requires the City Council to approve ongoing funding through the city’s budget.
To learn more about the Jacksonville Eviction Diversion Program, a link to the program’s webpage is provided here, and a summary of the City Council meeting discussing its outcomes can be found here.
More information on the organizations involved with the program can be found through the following links: United Way of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, and The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services.
To learn more about eviction diversion protections, NLIHC has a framework for Court-Based Eviction Diversion, detailing how it works and guiding principles for implementation, available here.