American philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $436 million to housing construction company Habitat for Humanity and dozens of its US affiliates, the organization said Tuesday.
Scott is among the billionaires who have signed a pledge to donate most of their assets to charity.
“Habitat works to break down barriers and bring people together, to break down obstacles and build a world where anyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, has a decent place to live,” Habitat for Humanity International Executive Director Jonathan Reckford said in a statement.
“This tremendous gift helps to make this work possible.”
The massive donation will be shared between Habitat for Humanity International and 84 US affiliated organizations, and will serve to increase the supply of affordable homes, particularly for Afro communities, according to the group.
“Even before covid, we had one in seven families paying more than half of their income in rent or mortgage,” Reckford said.
The pandemic drove up housing prices, as market dwellers across the country were looking for homes in less crowded areas, he said.
Scott has an estimated fortune of about $49 billion, according to Forbes. It has donated billions of dollars to hundreds of different charities, dedicated to promoting equality in minorities, racial, gender and economic opportunities, among other things.
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