Homeless Shelter To Amazon's Bezos: Don't Forget Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The announcement that one of Amazon's headquarters is coming to Crystal City drew concerns about rising housing prices and the impact on homelessness. But Alexandria's homeless shelter, Carpenter's Shelter, says it has one reason to be hopeful: philanthropy.

On Nov. 20, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' Day 1 Family Fund announced it will donate $97.5 million to organizations addressing homelessness. This includes $5 million for DC-based Community of Hope, $2.5 million for Oakton's Northern Virginia Family Service and $2.5 million for the District Alliance for Safe Housing. Northern Virginia Family Service directly helps families in the region, and grant money will go toward housing after shelter, services, skills training and job support to help families transition and stay in permanent housing.

Given Amazon's potential impacts on housing, transportation and other factors in Alexandria, Carpenter's Shelter leaders see an opportunity to engage with Amazon leadership. In particular, the shelter sees a possible philanthropy recipient in the shelter's new building construction. New Heights, the building replacing the old Carpenter's Shelter at 930 North Henry Street, will offer 97 affordable housing apartments and a 60-bed homeless shelter.

"Mr. Bezos’s newfound interest in corporate philanthropy could make him and Amazon welcome additions to an already generous community," said Carpenter's Shelter Executive Director Shannon Steene in a statement. "With his engagement in projects like New Heights, Carpenter’s Shelter and the rest of the immediate area around the new HQ2 could become the springboard for the Bezos Day One Fund."

The new home for Carpenter's Shelter could open in early 2020. In the meantime, the shelter's temporary home is the former Macy's at the closed Landmark Mall.

Given Amazon's impacts on Seattle's housing market, the future of affordable housing will be a continuing discussion going forward. According to a 2017 Alexandria analysis, the number of market-affordable (non-subsidized) rental units dropped from 18,218 to 1,749 between 2000 and 2017. This affordable housing challenge has been an ongoing concern for the homeless shelter and its residents.

Alexandria and Arlington said in a news release both will fund affordable housing and public infrastructure through revenues from Amazon's presence.

Carpenter's Shelter has been up to the affordable housing challenge. A point-in-time count for Alexandria showed a 46 percent decline in homelessness since 2011, Alexandria Times reported. The shelter reports an average 2.2-month stay for homeless individuals and three months for families.

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