Any adult should understand that breaking promises is not OK. I value my customers enough that they can always count on me to keep my promises, but my respect will wane if not returned.
We, as owners and property managers, cannot properly provide for the needs of our customers without income. So we have to collect fees, rent, and deposits, in order to provide heat, light, maintenance, etc. It's not a matter of generosity, it's a matter of necessary expenses.
Personally, I love helping those in need and spend the majority of my free time volunteering. But providing for the needy is not a duty of landlords. People going through troubling times are better served by a social service agency.
We don't "make" customers sign anything; but in order to provide a safe and habitable home for all of our neighbors, we can only house those that express their choice to live in our community by signing an agreement to do so.
We don't make people sign a legally binding contract to try and trap them. I collect an application fee so I can pay a screening company to make sure the applicant will be a suitable member of my community. The fee is not refundable because if someone chooses to apply despite not meeting (or reading) the criteria, that is their own choice. I staple a copy of our rental requirements on top of every application so it cannot be ignored. Deposits are 100% refundable. It is up to the resident. If they keep their promises, they can get every penny back.
In most states; landlords are required by law to treat all customers exactly the same, and hold all of them to the same level of accountability. We cannot make exceptions of generosity for those with the best sad stories without violating fair housing laws.