By Portland Medium Staff
Portland’s Habitat for Humanity recently received its largest-ever charitable donation. Oregon Public Broadcasting stated that the $8.5 million private donation is equal to two years of fundraising. The funds came from a billionaire philanthropist.
The same philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott, has donated more than $12 billion to charitable causes. She is the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. As part of the divorce settlement, she received 4% of Amazon’s shares.
Mackenzie is worth $48 billion according to Forbes. She signed the Giving Pledge through which many billionaires have promised to donate more than half of their wealth.
On the Portland Habitat for Humanity website, it stated, “At Habitat for Humanity, we believe that everyone deserves a stable and affordable place to call home. Founded in 1981, we have built and repaired homes in partnership with over 2,000 people across the Portland region. With plans to triple the number of people we serve every year, we are invested in creating a region where everyone has the opportunity to build a better life.”
Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro East, stated that the donated funds will be used to create housing for low income families — especially historically marginalized communities of color who have been blocked from economic opportunities.
The housing market is all the talk due to elevated prices. That is what makes this donation even more appreciated. Habitat for Humanity states that the median sales price for a single-family home in Portland was $511,000 in February, a 16% increase over the prior year. This past year Habitat Portland Region’s average first mortgage was $166,000 for 3- and 4-bedroom homes.
