Published January
2003
Gates
Foundation gives $2M to local housing nonprofits
SCBJ
Staff
The Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation awarded $2 million in December to two Snohomish County
nonprofit organizations that provide housing for the homeless, from teen-aged
mothers to unemployed workers.
Housing Hope, a county
nonprofit group that provides emergency shelter and transitional housing,
was awarded $1.375 million for the construction of 50 new housing units.
Housing Hope’s executive
director, Ed Petersen, said the money will allow the agency to build new
units in the east-county area.
Intercommunity Housing,
which provides transitional housing for poor and families with children,
was awarded $962,500. The money will be used to construct 20 transitional
housing units in south county, said Walter Zisette, agency vice president.
Transitional housing
is intended as an interim step for people who’ve been homeless. Typically,
people stay about a year while they get on their feet, and then move on
to permanent housing, Zisette said.
The two awards were
announced Dec. 12 at a gathering at Everett Station. Jaime Garcia, director
of Pacific Northwest programs for the Gates Foundation, announced the
awards. The Pacific Northwest division distributes housing funds to Snohomish,
King and Pierce counties. Its goal is to create 1,560 housing units in
the three counties.
Garcia pointed out
that while the rest of the nation is averaging 6 percent unemployment,
Washington state’s figure is at 6.7 percent. Behind those figures is an
increasing number of state residents, 10 percent, who live in poverty.
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