Doors of Hope
The questions you are actually going to ask.
We would rather answer these before you have to raise them.
Who holds the lease?
Our working model is that the young person is the leaseholder, so they build rental history in their own name. That is the point. Where an owner requires it, the Foundation can act as guarantor. We will not ask you to waive your screening process; we will ask you to tell us what it is so we can prepare someone to meet it.
What are the screening criteria?
Yours. We work backward from them. What we bring is a candidate we have worked with, who has income or a documented path to it, who understands the lease, and who has a caseworker you can call.
What happens if it does not work out?
You retain every remedy you normally have. We do not ask you to forgo eviction or absorb losses out of goodwill. What we commit to is early warning: our point of contact stays in touch with the resident and with your site team, and you hear from us before a problem becomes a filing.
Who pays for damage?
We intend to hold a fund for deposits and damage beyond normal wear, capped per placement, funded before the first placement is made. We will publish the cap once the first cohort is funded. We are not asking you to carry that risk uncompensated.
Is this a fair housing problem?
Choosing to accept a referral from a nonprofit is not a protected-class decision, and referral partnerships are common. Where it gets complicated is applying different criteria to different applicants. Our position: the young person goes through your normal process. We do not ask for an exception, we prepare someone to clear the bar. Have your counsel confirm this against your own policies.
How long is the commitment?
One unit, one year. Not one unit permanently and not a share of your portfolio. If it works and you want to continue, that is a separate conversation.
What if my units are not in Salt Lake City?
Tell us anyway. Our first cohort is Salt Lake City, and the second market will be wherever we have owners willing to open doors.
Do I get named publicly?
Only if you want to be. Some owners will want the recognition and some will not. We never publish anything identifying the resident.