Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Materializes First Projects, Facebook CEO And His Wife Donate $3.6 M To Housing Crisis

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan launched their organization called Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative and one of the first projects is donating $3.6 million to San Francisco's housing crisis. The organization was set up for the couple's philanthropic plans.

The $3.1 million aid will be given to a nonprofit legal aid group called Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA). The group works with families or individuals who have been evicted from their homes and have been displaced. The families or individuals must have limited means in order to qualify for the aid, Inhabitat reported.

Daniel Saver, a senior staff attorney for CLSEPA, said the money will help around 2,500 residents. David Plouffe, the president of policy and advocacy for the initiative, said in a statement, "[The grants] will support those working to help families in immediate crisis while supporting research" about new ideas in order to find a long-term solution. The group believes a two-step strategy will guide their advocacy but they have not released additional details about this plan.

The couple will also give $500,000 via the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative to the University of California specifically for Berkley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation. The group will use the money to research and analyze policies in an attempt to solve the housing problems in the area. The faculty director, Carol J. Galante, said the donation will help her group figure out how the Bay Area can get out of the difficult housing problem in relation to the high costs of housing.

The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative also aims to advance human potential and promote equality in education, energy, health, and scientific research, BGR reported. It also hopes to cure all diseases such as cancer.

More on wanting to cure all diseases, the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub will be donating around $50 million to 47 researchers and scientists in an attempt to cover more diseases and work on a cure. Forty-seven were chosen out of 700 applicants. They will receive $300,000 each every year for a period of five years.