New Destiny Housing Granted $5 Million from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez to Connect New York Families Experiencing Homelessness with Stable Housing and Critical Services
40 organizations across the U.S. receive a total of $110.5 million from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to help end homelessness for families
NEW YORK – (November 20, 2024): New Destiny Housing, New York’s largest nonprofit provider of supportive and affordable housing for domestic violence survivors, today announced that it has received a $5 million grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This donation is the largest gift in the organization’s 30-year history. 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.
“Domestic violence is the leading cause of family homelessness. Yet, due to the lack of housing resources in New York, most survivors and their children that end up in shelter are stuck in the homeless system for years before finding a safe home,” said Nicole Branca, executive director of New Destiny Housing. “As the only organization focused solely on permanent housing solutions for domestic violence survivors in New York, we are incredibly grateful to the Day 1 Families Fund for this generous gift – the largest grant New Destiny Housing has ever received from a private donor. Thanks to this significant investment from the Day 1 Families Fund, we can expand our services to house and support hundreds more families who experience the double trauma of abuse and homelessness each year.”
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, New Destiny Housing will work to reverse this national trend by serving families experiencing homelessness in New York.
Specifically, New Destiny Housing plans to use its funds to bolster its housing navigation assistance to house more survivors and their children, reduce their time in shelter, and expand access to the trauma-informed aftercare services they need to address the long-lasting, intergenerational effects of violence and homelessness. These funds will also support much needed capacity building to ensure New Destiny Housing has an ongoing pipeline of supportive and affordable housing opportunities for families impacted by domestic violence for years to come.
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 full list of awardees is available at bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund.
About New Destiny Housing
New Destiny’s mission is to end the cycle of domestic violence and homelessness for low- income families and individuals by developing and connecting them to safe, permanent, affordable housing and services. Thirty years ago, New Destiny was founded on the understanding that shelter alone cannot put an end to this cycle and have remained steadfast in our focus on permanent housing as the solution for families fleeing abuse with nowhere safe to go. New Destiny builds and manages permanent supportive housing for survivors; helps survivors find safe affordable apartments throughout the city and provides them with the aftercare support they need to remain housed and thrive; and is a leading advocate in the effort to end family homelessness in New York. For additional information, visit our website at www.newdestinyhousing.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram.
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.