NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Citi Foundation (the “Foundation”) today announced the nine community organizations working across the U.S. that have been selected for the 2024 Global Innovation Challenge to pilot or expand local solutions to address homelessness. They join a new cohort of 50 community organizations around the world set to receive a collective $25 million in catalytic funding to address this pressing global issue.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the number of people experiencing homelessness increased nationwide by 12% between 2022 and 2023, with over 653,000 people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. on a single night in 2023. Citi and the Citi Foundation recognize that safe, affordable and stable housing is a key contributor to the economic and social well-being of individuals, families and communities.
"Homelessness is one of the most vexing challenges that communities face," said Edward Skyler, Citi Head of Enterprise Services and Public Affairs and Chair of the Citi Foundation. "Interventions that have a meaningful impact are hard to come by. The Citi Foundation is investing in these organizations as part of the 2024 Global Innovation Challenge because we believe they have the potential to launch and scale solutions that can move the needle on this issue."
Recipients were selected through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to accelerate community impact across key markets of Greater Chicago, Greater New York City, Greater Washington, D.C., Northern California, Southern California and South Florida. Homelessness is a complex issue, and the Citi Foundation has been inspired by the level of innovation and impact it saw from applicants and their efforts to target the diverse needs of communities around the world. Solutions that will be fueled by recipients of the 2024 Global Innovation Challenge in the U.S. include:
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DignityMoves is building scalable and cost-effective interim supportive housing in communities across California, using innovative prefabricated modular construction and trauma-informed design to address the systematic challenges of homelessness.
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HELP USA is piloting a web-based data management platform to increase the capacity, efficiency and accessibility of homelessness prevention programs in the Bronx, New York.
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Los Angeles LGBT Center is educating LGBTQIA+ youth and older adults on how to secure permanent housing and increasing local support and resources by developing a network of community partnerships.
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Miami Homes For All is working to decrease youth homelessness by creating an affordable housing database that connects families to available, affordable housing units, delivering financial education and coaching and issuing referrals to wrap-around housing services.
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Mission Action is enhancing the country’s first shelter partnership with a public school district, offering families with children enrolled in San Francisco public schools access to emergency housing at a school site, in addition to key supportive services.
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N Street Village is addressing the diverse needs of aging women experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. by offering mental health services and identifying best practices to better serve this community.
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The Community Builders is preparing community members with lived experiences in Chicago as navigators to connect formerly homeless individuals with wrap-around supportive services, including financial and housing stability coaching.
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The Doe Fund is expanding experiential job training programs, career advancement support and other stabilization services for formerly homeless individuals living in supportive housing throughout New York City.
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The YMCA of Greater New York is offering enhanced services such as financial coaching, job training, employment opportunities and stipends to individuals experiencing homelessness in Queens, New York, prioritizing the diverse needs of their Spanish-speaking community as well as individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.
Programs funded by these grants will be implemented over the next two years and grantees will have access to a learning community facilitated by IDEO.org, a nonprofit focused on designing products and services in the social impact sector. Through the learning community, grantees will have the opportunity to build deeper connections, share lessons learned and exchange best practices.
“A myriad of factors have led to the persistence of homelessness in communities around the world, including in the U.S., where the lack of affordable housing means that too many individuals and families go to sleep each night without a safe and stable home,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and Head of Citi Community Investing & Development. “Each grantee selected to join this ambitious cohort of innovators recognizes the need for bold and locally tailored solutions that will equip our neighbors with the resources they need to secure affordable, reliable housing for both the near and long term.”
This latest philanthropic investment builds on Citi and the Citi Foundation’s strong track record of support for housing security in the U.S., as evidenced by:
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For 14 consecutive years, Citi has been recognized as the top affordable housing lender in the U.S., enabling affordable housing developers to acquire, construct, rehabilitate and refinance multifamily affordable housing across the country.
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The Citi Impact Fund has made equity investments in innovative start-ups bringing housing solutions to market, such as Pallet, PadSplit and ICON.
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In the fourth cohort of its Community Progress Makers initiative, the Citi Foundation supported nonprofits working locally to advance housing solutions such as The Ali Forney Center, Chicago Community Loan Fund, Habitat for Humanity of Broward, HomeFree-USA, Northern California Land Trust and Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc.
For more information on the Global Innovation Challenge, please visit citifoundation.com/challenge and follow the impact these community organizations are making at #InnovationChallenge on social media.
About The Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com.
