Jesse Tree is a nonprofit organization in Boise, Idaho that is dedicated to preventing eviction and homelessness. We serve Ada and Canyon County renters on the brink of homelessness.

We provide financial assistance, case management, and educational resources to households at risk of eviction. By focusing on landlord mediation, budgeting support, and housing stability planning, Jesse Tree can help at-risk families stay housed long-term.

Guided by values of compassion, reliability, balance, and a solutions-oriented mindset, Jesse Tree stays focused on our vision to see all Treasure Valley neighbors safely, stably housed.

Jesse Tree’s History
Jesse Tree was created in 1999 out of direct conversations with people experiencing homelessness. Our founders asked members of the homeless community how they ended up there, and they heard the same story over and over again: people had a difficult, unexpected circumstance come up and got to a place where they couldn’t pay their rent, got evicted, and became homeless. Our founders pooled together funding to give it to people when they needed it most, to keep them in their homes.

When our founders came up with the idea to prevent homelessness, they did national research to see if anyone else was already doing the work. They found an organization called Jesse Tree in Galveston, Texas, visited them, and brought their programs back to Boise, Idaho. Although Jesse Tree is a secular organization, “Jesse Tree” is originally known as the genealogical tree of Jesus in the Bible.

Over 20 years later, Jesse Tree remains true to our original mission: to prevent eviction and homelessness by supporting our neighbors at risk of housing loss, empowering them to stay in their homes.

As Executive Director of Jesse Tree, one of the Treasure Valley’s largest nonprofits, my career is dedicated to preventing homelessness by keeping our neighbors housed. Jesse Tree provides emergency rental assistance and helps tenants facing eviction work with their landlords in court in order to prevent the trauma and expense of becoming homeless. In the past year, Jesse Tree helped 3,000 individuals and 1,500 families stay in their homes. I’ve led programs at Jesse Tree for the past five years, and prior to that, worked in the nonprofit center and in universities on some of the trickiest social problems facing our communities. I oversee Jesse Tree’s dedicated team of 20+ staff members who advocate for tenants and show up every day for the most vulnerable in our communities. I hold a Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology from the University of Montana and a M.A. from Texas A&M. When not working, you’ll find me flyfishing or practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu