Housing & Cities
Most Recent
“We Know Exactly How Housing Works.” How a New Public-Private Partnership Tackles Homelessness
In a city where a recent count showed over 45,000 people experiencing homelessness, LA4LA aims to smooth the path for new housing options, with philanthropic funders filling in financial gaps to finish stalled projects.
Housing Former Foster Youth in LA: Checking in with Daniel Heimpel
The foster youth activist is working to get philanthropies to invest endowment dollars in affordable housing. We checked in on how that’s going and got his take on aligned strategies to fight homelessness.
“Homelessness Is Solvable.” Why Funders Are Flocking to This Housing Nonprofit
Community Solutions’ grand ambition to end homelessness — or at least make it “rare and brief” — has garnered big backing, including via 100&Change. Its latest fundraising success: a plan to buy up and secure affordable housing.
Amazon Doubles Down on Its Housing Giving. Good Strategy or More of the Same?
Big numbers aside, Amazon’s expanding affordable housing philanthropy has still been fairly conventional in its approach. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t strategy behind everything the company does.
Google Gets Behind Guaranteed Income to Relieve Homelessness on Its Home Turf
Through its philanthropic arm, the tech giant is backing a direct cash pilot in the Bay Area. Its partners, two local nonprofits with a long history of supporting unhoused families, hope the program will serve as a model further afield.
With a New Arts Initiative, Gilbert Family Foundation Expands its Philanthropic Footprint in Detroit
Billionaire Dan Gilbert has an outsized role in his home city of Detroit, including far-reaching philanthropy. A new program focuses on BIPOC artists as part of his foundation’s revitalization efforts.
This Public-Private Partnership Is Using Arts and Culture as a Catalyst for Racial Justice in Oakland
The City of Oakland is partnering with local foundations to combine organizing and arts and culture work in pursuit of racial justice. The latest round backs BIPOC-led business cooperatives and more.
A Foundation-Backed Initiative Looks to Boost Public Health, One City at a Time
Where you live has major impacts on your health. Since 2016, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has backed a National League of Cities initiative helping mayors consider urban problems through a health and wellness lens.
Inside a Community Foundation’s First Moves to Close Its Region’s Racial Home Ownership Gap
At the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, the Amandla Fund for Economic and Racial Justice is assisting local Black families on the path toward home ownership. It’s a modest effort, but with bigger things to come.
Small Grants Yield Big Cash: A Foundation Helped Unlock Millions in Public Funds for Homeless Youth
More than 180,000 young people in California experience homelessness in any given year, and foster youth are especially vulnerable. An L.A. funder used modest grants to access public funding for new housing.
Where’s the Bezos Day One Fund’s Latest Homelessness Support Going?
The Bezos Earth Fund gets more press, but the Amazon magnate’s other philanthropy still gives out a hefty chunk of change each year. Here’s a look at its most recent round of support for homeless families, totaling $117.55 million.
The Robin Hood of the West: Inside the Antipoverty Work of Tipping Point Community
Modeled on NYC’s Robin Hood Foundation, this grantmaker draws support from high-profile California donors as it takes on problems around housing, early childhood, education and employment in the Bay Area.
With a Power-Building Approach to Housing in California, a Pooled Fund Evolves and Expands
Launched in 2018, the Fund for an Inclusive California supports community-led housing justice work, with some major backers on board. The collaborative is entering a new phase and targeting overlooked regions of the state.
With Housing a Growing Global Concern, Habitat for Humanity Targets Informal Settlements
Housing has become a huge philanthropic priority, globally and domestically, and one of the largest charities in the space is Habitat for Humanity. We take a look at its latest global program targeting slums, barrios and favelas.
Here’s What You Need to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s 2023 Giving
In a new letter published on MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving site, she announced $2.2 billion in donations to 360 organizations in 2023. Who were the big winners? What were her top priorities? We crunched the numbers.
Tim Berry on JPMorgan Chase’s Philanthropy, Advocacy, and Efforts to Revitalize Cities
Tim Berry oversees government relations, sustainability and philanthropic efforts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. We spoke with Berry about the firm’s advocacy and giving, including big commitments in Detroit and Baltimore.
How This Omaha Foundation Embraced Community-Led, Participatory Grantmaking
In 2008, the Omaha Community Foundation launched its first participatory fund, and has since expanded the strategy with four more. Here’s how and why the foundation has committed to the approach.
This Chicago-Based Initiative Is Combining Grants and Investments to Cultivate Black Ownership
One of the factors driving the racial wealth gap is a lack of owned commercial property. In an effort to remedy that, a multifaceted initiative is purchasing properties to house local businesses in communities of color.
Who Is Funding Efforts to Support the Nation’s 1 Million Homeless Students?
Attending school while experiencing homelessness poses a mountain of obstacles for young people and their families. A handful of funders are backing efforts to help, including a new collaborative effort.
Eight Questions with Hyphen on Philanthropy’s $4 Trillion Opportunity
A nonprofit intermediary, Hyphen works to bridge the gap between philanthropy and government, aiming to make an ongoing torrent of federal spending more equitable. We connected with senior staff to learn more.
Philanthropy Helps Tap Gentrifiers’ Social Connections in Philly Poverty Alleviation Project
In Philadelphia’s Norris Square neighborhood, the nonprofit Xiente is putting philanthropic dollars to use partly in pursuit of an ambitious goal: tapping well-off newcomers’ social networks to help existing residents rise.
A Foster Youth Activist Calls on Philanthropy to Invest Endowment Dollars in Affordable Housing
Daniel Heimpel believes foundations’ invested assets are a deeply underutilized tool in their efforts to tackle the housing crisis. His path forward? Use grants and investments in tandem to ease the way for affordable housing.
Is the Cleveland Foundation’s New Headquarters the Future of Place-Based Philanthropy?
The Cleveland Foundation’s new building is anchoring a developing innovation district in an underserved part of the city. Lililan Kuri, the new president and CEO, explains how it could redefine the role of institutional philanthropy.
It’s Time for Philanthropy to Put Communities in Charge of Their Own Housing and Futures
Amid a housing equity crisis and following a successful pilot program in L.A., guest authors Almas Sayeed and Jessica Melendez make a case for why philanthropy should back community land trusts.
A San Diego Family Aims to Strengthen Community on Both Sides of the Border
The Burnhams of San Diego have been engaged in local philanthropy for decades. The family’s largest gift to date backs a “think and do tank” that asks community members to guide improvements in the San Diego-Tijuana region.
Here Are Some of the Leading Funders Tackling the U.S. Affordable Housing Crisis
Housing affordability is an ongoing problem in the United States, with about 19 million Americans considered cost-burdened by housing and utilities. Here are some of the funders trying to make a difference in this space.
Nonprofit Homeless Response Staff Struggle to Afford Housing. Will Funders Respond?
In L.A. and elsewhere, the homeless service sector’s workers are often critically underpaid, and some are at risk of becoming homeless themselves. Part of the problem is funders’ focus on numbers over actual wellbeing.
How Funders Need to Change to Spark a Revolution in Accessible, Affordable, Inclusive Housing
Housing may be the most urgent need for people with disabilities. However, argues guest author Micaela Connery, philanthropy has fallen far behind in addressing that need. She suggests how funders can improve their approach.
How Philanthropy Is Pushing for an Age-Friendly New Jersey
The Garden State’s been lagging behind the Empire State on efforts to foster age-inclusive communities. As New Jersey’s population grows older, these funders are looking to change that.
Philanthropy Must Change So Community Development Can Keep Changing for the Better
Community development has come a long way since the 1960s, but according to guest authors David Fukuzawa and Nancy O. Andrews, reaching its full potential will require big shifts in how philanthropy funds it.
