Michael And Susan Dell Foundation Donates $38M To Austin Homeless

Austin TX

30 November, 2021

4:03 PM

Description

AUSTIN, TX — The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation donated $38 million toward addressing homelessness in Austin on GivingTuesday, a global day of charitable giving after Black Friday. The one-time commitment, which builds on the Dell Foundation's longtime engagement in Central Texas, will provide critical funds to three local nonprofits in support of their frontline efforts, officials said Tuesday. Of the commitment, $36.6 million will be allocated to Multiplying Goodness, a capital campaign for Mobile Loaves & Fishes' Community First! Village development. The donation will help fund an additional 1,400 homes for Central Texans coming out of chronic homelessness. Live in Austin? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone. The Foundation is inviting the community to match the funds to help Mobile Loaves & Fishes reach its $150 million goal. In addition, officials said $1 million of matching funds will go to Foundation Communities for the construction of 100 units on the Burleson property at Community First! Village and $400,000 will go to LifeWorks to provide permanent housing for youth exiting homelessness, which aligns with the housing goals of both Mobile Loaves & Fishes and Foundation Communities. "As Austin grows, it's more important than ever that we care for those most vulnerable in our communities," said Susan Dell, co-founder and board chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. "By coming together as a community, we can provide those experiencing homelessness in Central Texas with the dignity they deserve through stable housing and the opportunity to experience community again. "We are honored to partner with Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Foundation Communities and LifeWorks—along with the broader Central Texas community through our community match—to accelerate the difference these organizations are already making on the ground each day." Since 2015, Community First! Village has become a nationally recognized model for addressing chronic homelessness. A development of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Community First! Village provides low-cost permanent housing, robust support services, and a strong community where people can begin to settle, heal, and transform their lives. "What's happening through Community First! Village is a reflection of the genuine goodness that exists in our great city," said Alan Graham, founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes. "Our vision is for Austin to truly become a community that is empowered into a lifestyle of service with our neighbors who have experienced homelessness. We are deeply grateful for this abundantly generous gift from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the unifying impact that it will inspire throughout the broader community as we continue to serve our friends who need it most." Of the approximately 3,000 people who are experiencing homelessness in Austin, 51 percent are chronically homeless compared to the national average for chronic homelessness of 25 percent, officials said. Mobile Loaves & Fishes officials said there are a number of systemic factors that can threaten housing stability and ongoing, sustained efforts are needed to help individuals get and stay on the path toward a stronger and more prosperous future. Since Austin passed Proposition B in May, which bans the homeless population from laying in public areas, the city and local nonprofits have been forced to accelerate its funding need for immediate homeless housing. Mobile Loaves & Fishes has determined that $150 million is needed to develop the next expansion of Community First! Village. This budget includes $50 million to construct all the supporting infrastructure and $100 million to build approximately 1,400 additional homes and necessary buildings to provide holistic care. Construction on the next phases of Community First! Village is set to begin in 2022.