Housing Families to Expand Support for Greater Boston Area Families Experiencing Homelessness with $5 Million Grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos
32 organizations across the U.S. receive a total of $102.5 Million from the Bezos Day 1 Family Fund to connect families with housing and hope
MALDEN, Mass. – (December 1, 2025): Housing Families, a housing and wellness services provider, today announced that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are recognizing the organization with a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This investment is the largest gift in the nonprofit’s history. Housing Families is part of the eighth annual cohort of organizations across the country receiving funding from the Day 1 Families Fund to deepen their work to help every family have a safe, stable place to call home.
“This grant comes at such a meaningful time,” said Laura Rosi, CEO of Housing Families. “As we enter the holiday season and witness so many families struggling, it gives us renewed hope. Our family shelter system has faced enormous challenges this year, and this support will allow us to help many more families find safety and stability and ensure that no family must sleep outside this winter. As we approach our 40th anniversary in 2026, it’s an inspiring way to step into our next decade with greater impact than ever.”
Housing Families will use its Day 1 Families Fund grant to serve even more families experiencing homelessness in Greater Boston, with the goal of ensuring no child in our community sleeps outside. Specifically, Housing Families plans to use this one-time grant over the next five years to provide emergency housing for families unable to access the state’s family shelter system and to help them transition into long-term housing. The investment will also position the organization to expand and sustain more permanent supportive housing solutions.
Housing Families was identified to receive this grant by a group of national advisors who are leading advocates and bring expertise on homelessness, housing policy and effective approaches and solutions to family homelessness.
“This investment will allow us to take bold steps toward ending family homelessness in our region,” said Kelley Hollis, deputy executive director of Housing Families. “It gives us the resources to move beyond temporary solutions and build pathways to permanent housing and stability. Every family we serve deserves the chance to thrive, and this grant helps make that vision possible.”
Since its inception in 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 280 grants totaling more than $850 million to organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The Day 1 Families Fund grant recipients have tremendous flexibility to use the funds in the ways that are most impactful in their communities, making the grant a game-changer for organizations on the frontlines of the family homelessness crisis. Recipients will use their funds to support families experiencing homelessness to access critical services, regain stable housing and achieve well-being.
This year, the Fund issued a total of $102.5 million in grants to 32 organizations. The full list of awardees is available at https://bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund. Case studies of the impact selected grantees have made with their funds are available at https://www.bezosdayonefund.org/case-studies.
About Housing Families
Since 1986, Housing Families has been providing housing and wellness services to the Metro North area of Boston and is expanding their geographic reach, now serving nearly 7,000 people each year. Housing Families provides homelessness prevention and legal services, emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing. In addition to housing programs, Housing Families offers wellness services including food and grocery assistance, a therapeutic and academic out-of-school time program (EnrichEd) and clinical mental health services (CareCollective). Housing Families’ mission is to ensure housing stability to strengthen families, individuals and communities.
About the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund
Through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos issue annual leadership awards to organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.
Good Morning America Segment Covering the Grant
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/127995225