Where Starting Over happens every day!

We’re Starting Over, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting and uplifting people experiencing the effects of mass incarceration, systemic racism, housing insecurity, substance addiction, and mental health issues. We believe that people impacted by these issues are the ones closest to the solutions, which is why we are a Black-led and criminal justice-impacted organization engaged in this work. From experience, we’ve learned that housing is critical, but alone, it is not enough to support those exiting prisons or the streets. We not only provide transitional housing, but also include holistic services such as peer support, case management, employment, wellness, and reentry services. We also work to address the root causes of our houseguests’ difficult situations, leading grassroots organizing and policy initiatives in the Inland Empire region and statewide. Established in 2009 we’ve served over 1,400 men, women, and families in Riverside and Los Angeles Counties through the reentry and transition process.

We believe that the past does not define our future. We’re invested in creating safe and equitable opportunities for all members of our community, and especially those with past convictions. Housing opportunities are crucial for our community members and directly affect their ability to thrive.

Starting Over, Inc. is committed to reducing and eliminating the many barriers to life after incarceration. We have a deep commitment to identifying and implementing evidence-based approaches to strong communities and families. We seek to creating program/project solutions where the need exists in our community. We do lots of things at Starting Over, Inc. - but our primary goal is to address the immediate effects and root causes of incarceration, be it through housing, employment, legislation, or community organizing.

T d ith i itiatives, access our services, or support our work through donations, you can or office@startingoverinc.org.

Our programming and projects include, but are not limited to:

Transitional Housing

We currently operate e ght homes in LA and Riverside Counties open to men, women and chi dren, w th options for sober liv ng or harm-reduction housing All of our services are availab e to our houseguests, many of whom have been unable to obtain hous ng after be ng released due to the r conv ction h stories

Case Management Peer Support

Our Case Management specia ists provide support to our guests with obtain ng necessary documents/identification and accessing insurance, education, hea thcare, clothing food, & more

Our houseguests are not alone - our support specia ists, having experienced ncarcerat on add ct on and homelessness themselves - understand our guests needs and the barriers they face. We re here to meet our guests wherever they are in their journeys and to support them moving forward through empowerment, support with recovery, referrals and mentorship

Family Reunification, Equity, & Empowerment (FREE) Project

Mass incarceration affects not just individua s but families - many of our community members and guests experience fam ly separat on at the hands of the child we fare system. The FREE Project is system- mpacted led and organizes parents and fami y members in a non-judgemental space, adv s ng on best practices and dependency court procedures We recently sponsored and passed statewide bi l that e iminates major barriers to chi d placement and allows family members with crimina convictions unrelated to caring for children to be considered as placement opt ons a lowing for suitab e fam ly members with criminal conv ct ons to step up in times of crisis

Through our Path to SEED program, we connect guests and commun ty members with employment opportun ties and provide training & support regard ng obtaining and retaining employment often a major hurdle for formerly incarcerated individuals

Marshall Legal Clinic

Our free clinics provide re ief for expungements wi ls/trusts, immigration and more with the support of local legal organizat ons

Employment Policy Advocacy

In the past year, we’ve co-sponsored and/or supported near y a dozen statewide bi ls to reduce the sca e of mass incarceration and its collateral consequences We ve a so worked ocal y to nfluence Riverside County to reduce crim nal history look-back periods from 7 years to 3 years n 2017 and to enable youth coming out of probation to be able to stay with their fami y members in subsidized housing

Grassroots Organizing & Civic Engagement

Our Part cipatory Defense organizing model (based on Sil con Va ley De-Bug) empowers fam ly and commun ty members in the courtroom to posit vely mpact their loved one’s outcome and to bring them home. As fiscal sponsor and start-up organ zation of Rivers de All of Us or None (a chapter of a nationa init at ve of former y incarcerated peop e, family members, and allies advocating for the rights of the currently and formerly ncarcerated people) we ensure that system impacted leadership rema ns at the center of the f ght to keep our community together and address the soc al problems that ncarceration purports to so ve Our community outreach team a so d sseminates voter registration and public health information regarding COVID-19, and we organ ze food and c othing re ief for community members in need

Additionally, the fear of missing out (FOMO) can play a significant role in this decision. In fastpaced markets, properties may receive multiple offers within a short timeframe. In such scenarios, buyers may fear that insisting on an inspection could lead to delays and the possibility of losing the property to another bidder who is willing to forgo this crucial step.

2. THE INFLUENCE OF COMPETITIVE MARKETS AND BIDDING WARS ON THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS

In a seller’s market, where demand outpaces supply, buyers often encounter intense competition for desirable properties. Under these circumstances, waiving inspections can be perceived as a strategic move to streamline the buying process and minimize potential hurdles that may arise from the inspection report.