The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is housing and shelter.
One of the silver linings of the pandemic was that fewer people were homeless, thanks to coronavirus relief funds and eviction moratoriums.
According to a 2021 assessment by the Department of Housing and Urban Development:
• The number of sheltered families with children declined considerably between 2020 and 2021.
• The share of emergency shelter beds located in hotels, motels and other buildings with private, noncommunal sleeping rooms increased by 134 percent.
But the relief funds and eviction moratoriums have ended, and as the National Alliance to End Homelessness notes, rising rental prices and accelerating inflation are likely to increase homelessness this year. Donating to nonprofits that address housing and shelter is one way to help.
If you are unsure of where to focus your giving in this category, the website for the campaign, also known as the CFC, makes it easy:
• Under “CFC Giving System” on the homepage, choose the “Online Charity Search” link.
• You will be brought to “Find a Charity.” Under “Select a Specific Category, choose “Housing and Shelter.”
Page after page of housing- and shelter-related charities can help guide your choice.
The Combined Federal Campaign is the federal government’s workplace charity drive.
The latest campaign began Sept. 1 and runs through Jan. 14.
Participation in the CFC is voluntary.
The GiveCFC.org website has more information.
This is the third in a series of articles spotlighting the Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week. Next week: disaster response.
