Jeff Bezos's fund has now given almost $640 million to help homeless families

abcnews.go.com:

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ fund to support homeless families announced $117 million in new grants on Tuesday to organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' fund to support homeless families announced $117 million in new grants on Tuesday to organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, which is a part of a $2 billion commitment Bezos made in 2018 to support homeless families and to run free preschools.

That brings the amount granted by the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to benefit homeless families to almost $640 million.

Bezos' partner, former news anchor Lauren Sánchez, who is also the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, thanked the grantee organizations in a video posted to both her and Bezos' social media accounts.

The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte received a second grant this year after first being awarded $5 million by the fund in 2018. Deronda Metz, director of social services, said they can use the funding in more flexible ways than the government grants they receive, including the renovation of a 100 room hotel, hiring additional staff and expanding the facility for an on-campus Boys & Girls Club.

Rents rose sharply in her city following the pandemic, as it did in many cities, meaning that more families are losing their housing and that the cost of getting them into apartments has risen, she said.

“When you have flexible dollars in a rental market like this, you could pay your high rent, you could pay a higher deposit,” Metz said.

The fund works with an advisory board of experts from organizations like the Urban Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless to identify potential grantee organizations who may then submit funding proposals for consideration.

Amanda