LOUISVILLE, KY (November 20, 2024)—The Coalition for the Homeless announced today that it has received a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, the largest private gift in the organization’s history. Over the next five years of the grant’s term, the Coalition plans to distribute funds to local providers to connect Metro Louisville families experiencing homelessness with new shelter, stable housing, and critical services. This is the seventh year that the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded grants to organizations across the country that are leading the way to move the needle on family homelessness with the goal of ensuring that no child sleeps outside.
“We are so excited about this commitment to Louisville’s families and hope that it can help leverage the additional resources needed to end the family waitlist for shelter and ensure that homelessness for families with children is rare and short-lived,” said Natalie Harris, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless.
Family homelessness in the U.S. rose dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and families now represent more than 28 percent of the country’s homeless population, according to a 2024 report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. With its one-time Day 1 Families Fund grant, the Coalition for the Homeless will partner with nonprofits and community leaders to reverse this national trend by serving families experiencing homelessness in Metro Louisville.
Specifically, the Coalition for the Homeless—Louisville’s Continuum of Care Lead—plans to use its funds over five years to coordinate best-practice solutions that address and end homelessness among families including shelter, case management, and permanent housing. The planning and implementation process will follow past successful efforts in Louisville addressing homelessness among veterans and young adults.
A group of national advisors who are leading experts on family homelessness and its solutions—including the intersection of homelessness and housing policy, child welfare, racial equity and service provision—identified the organizations selected for funding.
Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 248 grants totaling nearly $750 million to organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The grants are uniquely flexible and enable organizations to support families experiencing homelessness—including those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—to regain safe, stable housing and achieve well-being.
This year, the Fund issued a total of $110.5 million in grants to 40 organizations, and for the first time, nonprofits in Kansas and New Jersey are among the awardees. The other organization receiving a grant in Kentucky is Welcome House, Inc. in Covington. The full list of awardees is available at bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund.
About the Coalition for the Homeless
The Coalition for the Homeless’ mission is to prevent and end homelessness here in Louisville. The Coalition advocates for change, educates the public about the face of homelessness and coordinates the work of their 40+ member agencies across the city. Find the Coalition online at www.louhomeless.org or www.facebook.com/LouHomeless.
About the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund
Launched in 2018, the Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing nonprofits that help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness—including those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—regain safe, stable housing and achieve well-being. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.
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