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A Central Florida nonprofit received a $5.2 million grant from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ foundation to provide housing and other services to homeless families.

The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant will be administered by the Homeless Services Network in Orlando. 

Director Martha Are says the nonprofit will begin accepting applications from providers in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties in early 2020. 

“These are some unique dollars that are going to allow us to do some creative, hopefully some kind of entrepreneurial responses to expand the value of the services that we are already providing.”

Are says the money will be used to provide additional temporary and permanent housing with supportive services for homeless families with children.

Excited to announce this year’s Bezos Day One grants. Thank you to these 32 organizations in 23 states working to end homelessness. I recently spent time with the amazing team at Community of Hope in Washington, D.C. – one of last year’s grantees. https://t.co/Lfy5LUWT99 pic.twitter.com/L0JeDUrjAY

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 21, 2019

“Whether that is engaging families through outreach, trying to help families resolve their homeless crisis without having to enter into the homeless shelter facilities as well as helping families to move into permanent housing and be able to sustain that housing.”

She says that could mean more diversion programs that keep children out of emergency shelters and more supportive services that help single parents or parents who are struggling with addiction stay in housing.

According to the Florida Council on Homelessness, there were more than 700 people in homeless families in these three counties alone at the 2019 point-in-time count.

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