The United Way of Broward County’s Housing United received a three-year (2023-2025) gift totaling $100,000 from the BBX Capital Foundation to support and provide families with down payment assistance and housing subsidies. It will also help the Housing United initiative reach its goal of securing 2,500 units, impacting approximately 7,500 at-risk residents in our community.

“It is the hope that this pioneer gift will inspire other companies, corporations, and philanthropists to get involved and to be a united front against the affordable housing crisis that our community is facing,” Kathleen Cannon says, president/CEO of United Way of Broward County. “There is no doubt these funds will have a long-lasting impact towards housing stability for the families we serve, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the BBX Capital Foundation for making this happen.”

United Way of Broward County launched its Housing United initiative in 2022 to address the affordable housing crisis in Broward County. The program centers on a capital fund serving Broward’s cost-burdened residents with both immediate and long-term solutions to one of the most pressing issues facing Broward residents.

“Affordable housing is currently a critical necessity for so many residents in Broward County,” Jarett Levan says, president and CEO of BBX Capital, Inc. and Trustee of the BBX Capital Foundation. “We are so fortunate that the BBX Capital Foundation can pave the way for United Way of Broward County’s Housing United’s mission to help our community provide homes for families in need.”

Housing United uses a multi-pronged approach featuring a program-related investment model to raise capital and philanthropic funds, an advocacy component, and a collaborative community effort. United Way of Broward County established the fund with funds from the MacKenzie Scott gift fueled by an initial endowment of $10 million. It will leverage combined local, state, and federal dollars with philanthropic donations to deliver 2,500 affordable housing units over the next five years.

Photo Credit: United Way of Broward County