Cooper Housing Institute Awards $300,000 Grant For The Development Of Feature-Length Documentary; A Solution To Homelessness

Grant will facilitate the production of a documentary film that will examine non-traditional solutions to the growing homelessness crisis in the United States

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Cooper Housing Institute

Feb 08, 2022, 09:15 ET

BOSTON, Feb. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cooper Housing Institute announced that it has awarded the non-profit public policy advocacy organization, Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance (MHSA), with a $300,000 grant. The grant will fund the production of the feature-length documentary, Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, by A Bigger Vision Films, LLC.

The film will focus on innovative solutions to homelessness and analyze racial disparities that create a lack of housing opportunities. It will explore "housing first" models, which prioritize permanent housing as a foundation for individuals to pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. By facilitating treatment of addiction and mental illness, the Housing First model saves cities millions of taxpayer dollars and is now working in communities in the US.

"The Cooper Housing Institute's mission is to support research, education and public awareness programs that address housing affordability and homelessness in the United States," said Co-Founder Will Cooper Jr. "Beyond the Bridge will be an important educational tool that explores how to eliminate homelessness in the United States."

About Cooper Housing Institute

The Cooper Housing Institute is a private 501(c)(3) foundation founded in 2018 by the Cooper family, whose commitment to affordable housing spans 50 years. The foundation strives to make housing a priority in the United States by supporting research, education and programs that address housing affordability and homelessness. The organization focuses on the root causes of the shortage of affordable housing and chronic homelessness across the nation, and aims to focus on objective, fact-driven research that brings often divergent groups together to embrace common sense solutions. The Cooper Housing Institute was formed by Will N. Cooper Sr. and Will N. Cooper Jr., leaders of Irvine, California-based WNC, a leading provider of investment, asset management and development services in the affordable housing industry. To learn more, visit https://cooperhousinginstitute.org/.