homelessness
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Amazon pledges $2 billion toward affordable housing in three hub cities
The Housing Equity Fund will help build and preserve 20,000 homes.
Google is granting another $4 million towards affordable Bay Area housing
Last year, Google committed $1 billion towards addressing the lack of affordable housing in the Bay Area, acknowledging that as one of the largest employers in the region it has a responsibility to help. In its announcement today, Google also shared more on what it calls its “housing first” approach to the homelessness crisis. Google said its housing first approach prioritizes giving people safe and stable shelter before they can get other support like “mental health care, drug rehab, food assistance, or job training programs.”
Apple will spend $400 million on affordable housing this year
Apple will spend more than $400 million on affordable housing projects and first-time homebuyer assistance programs in California this year.
Zillow's new search tool helps find housing for those in need
Escaping homelessness is an enormous undertaking, not least because so many landlords and property managers have strict criteria for new tenants. Those that have been homeless are often unable to provide rental histories or sizeable deposits, for example. Now though, property platform Zillow is teaming up with a housing company in Washington to help tackle the problem.
Cruel Google Maps trick marked livestreamer's mansion as a homeless shelter
While most pranks that originate from YouTube are terrible, a recent one targeted at homeless people in Los Angeles was particularly abhorrent and cruel. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, a group of online pranksters connected with popular YouTuber Paul Denino -- better known by his online handle Ice Poseidon -- created a fake homeless shelter on Google Maps that directed people looking for a place to stay to a private mansion he was renting.
Amazon resumes HQ expansion after Seattle tax compromise
Amazon has graciously resumed construction work in Seattle after the City Council "compromised" on a controversial tax that will see the tech giant -- that turned over $51 billion in sales during the last quarter alone -- on the hook for $11 million annually. A sum that will be used to tackle the city's homelessness issue.
NYC nixes kiosk browsers after homeless commandeer their use
NYC debuted its gigabit LinkNYC program in January of this year to great fanfare. These kiosks, 400 in total dot the city, offered free wi-fi for passing residents as well as dedicated tablets that anyone could use. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out quite as planned. On Wednesday, the LinkNYC program announced that it would be temporarily borking its tablets until officials can figure out how to ensure that they aren't bogarted by the city's homeless residents.
San Francisco's 311 app allows residents to report troubled homeless
Mayor Ed Lee unveiled a new feature for the city's 311 public information/assistance app that will allow residents to report homeless people in need of assistance to city officials. The feature is reportedly designed to better help San Francisco's sizable homeless population receive the enormous number of health and well-being services that the city offers. "We will follow up," Lee said during a press conference Tuesday.
Microsoft's age-guessing tech highlights effects of homelessness
Microsoft's how-old.net isn't the most reliable age detecting software. The company set it up as a demo site and never expected it to go viral (two million shares on Facebook). While thousands of users checked in to see how old an algorithm thinks they are, Toronto's Covenant House used the social tool as a catalyst for a pressing cause. They created a web ad that shows Cale, a 22-year-old homeless man, stamped as a 43-year-old on how-old.net. "The message was simple: living on the streets robs kids of their youth," Josie do Rego, Director of Development and Communications, told Engadget. "We wanted to remind people that the streets are no place for young people."
