APARTMENTS.COM DONATES $5,000 TO BETHESDA CARES, TO HELP COMBAT HOMELESSNESS THROUGH FIRST ANNUAL HELP FOR HOMELESS GRANT PROGRAM

CHICAGO (December 17, 2013) — Apartments.com launched its inaugural Help for Homeless Grant Program by inviting not-for-profit homeless service providers from across the country to apply for grants totaling $100,000. Nearly 500 organizations that tirelessly work to combat homelessness applied for grants to support programmatic or operational expenses directly benefitting the homeless population. Today, Apartments.com announces the homeless service organizations that will each receive grants for the important work they do in their local communities.

Bethesda Cares serves nearly 1,000 clients experiencing homelessness annually, and received a $5,000 grant from Apartments.com. This funding will be used for costs associated with moving a person experiencing long-term homelessness into an apartment. Funding will cover security deposits, first and last month’s rent and shopping for a few brand new sundries – a particular joy for many clients who may not have had anything "new" of their own for years.

“Having a place to live is a basic human need, and so closely tied to the core nature of our business. That is why throughout the years we have chosen to support organizations that work to help the homeless,” says Dick Burke, president of Apartments.com. “Apartments.com is thrilled to expand our efforts this year by providing grants to 16 organizations that serve a distinct segment of the homeless population through innovative programming and services in local communities. We were pleased by the tremendous response we received from hundreds of top-notch organizations who applied for funding through our inaugural grant program. It was wonderful to see the depth and breadth of work being done in cities across the country that benefits this vital cause.”

There is an overwhelming need for the more than 3 million people in the U.S. who experience homelessness each year. While Apartments.com realizes that the contributions made through their Help for Homeless Grant Program will not bring an end to homelessness, it is their hope to help change a few more lives one step at a time. To that end, the 16 charitable organizations that will receive funding from the inaugural Apartments.com Help for Homeless Grant Program include:

Bethesda Cares (Bethesda, MD) – $5,000 Grant

ALIVE! (Alexandria, VA) – $10,000 Grant

Connections for the Homeless (Evanston, IL) – $10,000 Grant

JOIN (Portland, OR) – $10,000 Grant

Literacy Lab (Washington DC) – $10,000 Grant

Mobile Loaves and Fishes (Austin, TX) – $10,000 Grant

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (Chicago, IL) – $5,000 Grant

Homeward Bound (Marin County, CA) – $5,000 Grant

Macomb Emergency Shelter (Macomb, MI) – $5,000 Grant

Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (Boston, MA) – $5,000 Grant            

New Orleans Women's Shelter (New Orleans, LA) – $5,000 Grant

NYC Rescue Mission (New York, NY) – $5,000 Grant 

People Serving People (Minneapolis, MN) – $5,000 Grant  

Social Advocates for Youth (Santa Rosa, CA) - $5,000 Grant   

Upward Bound House (Santa Monica, CA) – $5,000 Grant

Vogel Alcove (Dallas, TX) – $1,000 Grant

“Apartments.com appreciates and has the utmost respect for the hundreds of organizations that applied for funding through the inaugural Help for Homeless Grant Program,” adds Susan Bryant, vice president of marketing and media sales for Apartments.com. “The need for services and support continues to grow, especially given the current economy, and so we encourage not-for-profit homeless service providers to apply for grants in 2014.”

The second annual Help for Homeless Grant Program will begin accepting applications in summer 2014 at www.apartments.com/grants.

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