60 Homeless Families in San Francisco to Receive Homes

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hamilton Family Center, the largest provider of housing services for homeless families in San Francisco, has received two commitments in the last week to help resolve the record levels of homelessness among families in the city. The first gift, $850,000 from Marc and Lynne Benioff via the Salesforce.com Foundation, will be matched by the Mayor’s Homeless Fund, which plans to provide $483,167.

“We’re energized by the generosity of Marc and Lynne Benioff, and pleased by the Salesforce.com Foundation’s confidence in Hamilton Family Center. Along with the Mayor’s matching donation, we can significantly reduce the stress on the system and change the lives of 60 families right away.”

Upon learning the number of homeless families in San Francisco has met an all time high, salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff and wife Lynne decided to donate $1.5 million to local San Francisco nonprofit agencies to get families into housing as quickly as possible. In response to the Benioff’s generous donation, the Mayor’s Office of Housing is allocating more than $800,000 for the same purpose. Additionally, salesforce.com employees will be making donations, volunteering and building “move-in baskets” with fresh linens, dishware and cleaning supplies through the Salesforce.com Foundation.

Hamilton Family Center will use its total of $1.333 million to serve families through its nationally-recognized First Avenues program, which places families quickly into permanent housing with rent subsidies and case management. Intake has already begun, and the first family is scheduled to move into their new home on December 21, 2011.

“This is a wonderful holiday gift,” said Diane Luther, executive director of Hamilton Family Center. “We’re energized by the generosity of Marc and Lynne Benioff, and pleased by the Salesforce.com Foundation’s confidence in Hamilton Family Center. Along with the Mayor’s matching donation, we can significantly reduce the stress on the system and change the lives of 60 families right away.”

“There are currently more than 250 families on the waiting list to enter shelters in San Francisco, and more than 100 currently in emergency shelters and transitional programs, including 70 families in Hamilton programs. For these remaining homeless families we rely on continued support from the City and the community to help with our programs throughout the year,” said Luther.

Since 2005, through its First Avenues program, Hamilton Family Center has prevented 610 evictions, and helped 488 families use a temporary shallow rent subsidy to transition from homelessness to permanent homes. The program also provides move-in deposit assistance, basic furnishings and support services.

Founded in a church basement in San Francisco’s Haight neighborhood during the holidays in 1985, Hamilton Family Center is the largest provider of housing solutions and supportive services for homeless families in San Francisco. The agency operates six programs providing emergency and interim shelter, permanent supportive housing services, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and recreation and education enrichment supports for children.

To learn more about First Avenues and other Hamilton programs, visit http://hamiltonfamilycenter.org/

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