When I was 19, my mother put in her 30-day notice at the apartment we lived in and said I couldn't move with her. So I kept the apartment and got two roommates. Neither one did anything financially to help and I didn't have a job. So I got evicted for non-payment of rent. Then I heard about Ready to Rent from a friend. She said it could help my rental credit. I learned a lot of things including resources I never knew were available. I learned to be dedicated and determined to help myself.
Opening the doors to housing through education since 1999
In 1998, the Portland Housing Center began working on a tenant readiness eduction curriculum for renters facing difficulties finding housing. After two years of creating the "right" model, Ready to Rent was launched in 1999. It is a six-week class offered by licensed agencies and taught by certified instructors. The class helps renters learn their rights and responsibilities as well as help people with rental barriers access housing.
Today, Ready to Rent LLC is a stand alone company with over 40,000 graduates throughout the United States and Canada. Using the empowering information and skills building materials, several thousand graduates have successfully found rental housing. The curriculum was created with the help of landlords, social service agencies and committed volunteers.
Ready to Rent is taught by:
- Housing Authorities and other HUD funded agencies
- Drug and alcohol treatment programs
- Mental health organizations
- Correctional facilities
- City, county and state agencies
- Mutual Housing Associations
- NeighborWorks America agencies
- Youth organizations
- Homeless shelters
- The Salvation Army
- Veterans programs
- and other organizations in the United States and Canada
Meet The Owner....Raina Evans
Raina Evans opens doors to housing through education. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Evans developed a love for community service and involvement at a young age. This "love" led to over 40 years of experience in various professional capacities serving communities throughout North America. Her many hats include talk show host, educator, program manager, public relations professional, motivational speaker, and (her current favorite) “social” entrepreneur. In 2003, Evans was hired by the Portland Housing Center to manage the Ready To Rent program. In 2007, she became the distributor and administrator and in 2013 she assumed ownership of the copyright. Evans has licensed over 200 organizations to administer the program and trained over 500 instructors to successfully deliver the curriculum. Evans holds a bachelor's degree in Speech Communication from Portland State University. She believes everyone deserves access to safe, affordable, stable housing and Ready To Rent is a key solution to the housing crisis in the United States.
