Casually Kristen

DENVER, Colorado — Talk about generosity! American author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott just donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International– with $13.5 million of that total going straight to its Metro Denver chapter.

“This incredibly generous gift will allow us to dramatically increase capacity and implement programs that will have a multi-generational impact on communities around the U.S. and our global mission for many years to come,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “With this donation, Habitat is well-positioned to meaningfully advocate for the systemic and societal changes needed to improve equitable access to affordable housing.”

The organization already has big plans for this incredible amount of money. Its first priority is addressing the affordable housing crisis. In Denver, half of renters spend more than 30-percent of their income on housing, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. As for home ownership, Redfin studies show that as recently as February 2022, Denver home prices were up more than 11-percent compared to last year, selling for a median price of $550,000.

Specifically, Habitat for Humanity International says the donation will allow it to expand advocacy for policy proposals and legislation that enables millions of people access to affordable housing through its Cost of Home campaign; increase Black homeownership in the U.S. by targeting current systemic barriers through an initiative that will launch this summer; and leverage innovative capital investments that service communities of color. 

“Even as we celebrate this gift, we are doubling down on our commitment to meet this moment and support those struggling to find an affordable home,” shared Heather Lafferty, CEO of Habitat Metro Denver, “Our sincere thanks to Ms. Scott, and all the partners who have helped shape Habitat Metro Denver into the organization it is today. This gift is both a reason to celebrate and to energetically propel our efforts forward to help more families gain stability and economic mobility through homeownership. Too many people have been left out of the wealth-building opportunity that homeownership provides.  We aim to change that.”

Scott’s generosity doesn’t stop here though. Far from it! She has been giving away her fortune at an unbelievable pace. Scott divorced the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, in 2019, and since then has donated more than $12 billion to 1,257 organizations focused on public health, gender equality, racial justice, and more. Just incredible!