- Zachary Quinn founded BOUND to prevent evictions and homelessness in Utah.
- BOUND partners with landlords to provide financial aid and tools to tenants.
- The nonprofit is funded by private donors and aims to reduce taxpayer costs.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Provo resident who moved to Utah just six years ago believes he's found a practical way to keep families housed — and off the streets. Zachary Quinn, founder of the new nonprofit BOUND, said the solution starts with stopping evictions before they spiral into homelessness.
Quinn arrived from the East Coast in 2020 and was stunned by what he saw.
"It only took me three or four days to see what is really going on here," he said. "It's not a big city problem — there's obviously something else going on."
That realization pushed him to search for a model that could intervene early, before families lose their homes. Today, BOUND partners directly with landlords to identify tenants who are struggling but stable enough to stay housed with short-term help.
One of those tenants was Kris Price, whose living room walls are lined with family photos. Last year, he and his adult autistic son were days away from losing their home.
"I was panicked, trying to frantically find a job," Price recalled. "It is the scariest thing you would ever have to deal with."
When Price unexpectedly lost his job, the bills piled up fast.
"It was a domino effect, you know," he said.
But instead of filing an eviction, Price's landlord contacted BOUND.
Quinn said landlords are the key.
"We go directly to landlords because they're really the best filter for us — for the good tenants they want to keep," he explained.
BOUND then connects tenants with a one-time payment and financial tools through its partner, Savology, a financial planning app. The goal is not just to solve the immediate crisis, but to help families build stability.
Price said the support made all the difference.
"I want to be prepared for next time," he said. "The help kept me and my son from the streets."
BOUND is funded entirely by private donors. Quinn points to data showing that homelessness is expensive for taxpayers — about $35,000 per person per year — while keeping someone housed costs roughly $2,500.
"I foresee the term 'eviction' not being something that is just part of our everyday life in the future," Quinn said.
He believes that with early intervention, evictions can become rare — and homelessness far less common.
For more information about BOUND landlords can reach out at boundbox.org.
