Evaluating the Impact of an R3-Funded Eviction Defense Program

Just Us Bridge (JUB), an R3-funded legal aid nonprofit, wanted more than just compliance metrics for grant reporting. Tracking client counts, participant demographics, and program engagement was necessary—but it didn’t answer the bigger question: Is our eviction defense curriculum reaching the right people, and is it working?

We partnered with JUB to evaluate both the reach and impact of their program. Using baseline assessments and post-course exams, we measured participants’ knowledge of eviction processes before and after the training. Statistical analysis—including paired t-tests, non-parametric signed rank tests, and effect size calculations—showed significant gains in litigation literacy. Participants left the course with a better understanding of their rights and how to represent themselves, especially in critical areas like recognizing when a landlord has improperly served an eviction notice.

While participants made meaningful gains in knowledge, some legal terms and concepts remained challenging and required further attention. We analyzed which questions were most frequently missed to identify persistent knowledge gaps and inform curriculum refinements. We also mapped participant addresses and combined that with neighborhood eviction data and client socioeconomic indicators to understand where eviction vulnerability—and opportunity for outreach—was highest.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) program, Just Us Bridge, and this project.

“They [funders] don’t want to know just that you had a program—they want to see some hard data about, well, what did it do?”

Jim Winner, JUB Program Director