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Two Houston Charities To Receive $10 Million To Fight Homelessness

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is donating nearly $100 million to some two dozen charities as part of a nationwide campaign to end homelessness. The Salvation Army of Greater Houston and SEARCH Homeless Services are each getting $5 million.

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The homeless encampment located at the intersection of Highway 59 and Caroline Street is one of the biggest in Houston, but one of the main goals of the ordinance that went into effect on May 12th 2017 is to clean it up.
Al Ortiz
Photo of April 21, 2017, the homeless encampment located at the intersection of Highway 59 and Caroline Street.

Two Houston nonprofits are among those getting grants from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as part of a nationwide campaign to end homelessness.

The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund is making grants totaling $97.5 million to some two dozen nonprofits across the country. The fund is awarding $5 million to the Salvation Army of Greater Houston and an equal amount to SEARCH Homeless Services.

Thao Costis, president and CEO of SEARCH, says that while the number of people living on the streets has declined in recent years, the number of people needing help to stay off the streets is climbing.

"There are more people who are living in fragile economic situations," Costis says. "They have a hard time affording rent, and keeping up with all of the costs that it takes to sustain a household, whether it's food, healthcare, child care, and of course housing."

Costis says her organization will use the grant to help people find permanent homes, as well as to enhance family support services for children to help break the cycle of homelessness.

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Andrew Schneider

Andrew Schneider

Politics and Government Reporter

Andrew Schneider is the senior reporter for politics and government at Houston Public Media, NPR's affiliate station in Houston, Texas. In this capacity, he heads the station's coverage of national, state, and local elections. He also reports on major policy issues before the Texas Legislature and county and city governments...

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