Wayfair is helping to welcome home new tenants who are exiting from homelessness by providing gift cards for furniture and other home goods.
“These donations will help individuals transitioning out of homelessness truly see their new space turned into a home,” says Shardé Marchewski, Wayfair’s Global Head of Purpose and Inclusion.
Wayfair is providing these donations to tenants at apartment complexes owned by Community Solutions in Jacksonville, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee. They also donated furnishings to outfit model units at these apartment complexes. These donations — which included couches, beds, mirrors, rugs, wall art, and more — transformed empty apartments into inviting potential homes for people exiting homelessness.
“These donations will help individuals transitioning out of homelessness truly see their new space turned into a home.”
Shardé Marchewski, Wayfair’s Global Head of Purpose and inclusion
“We know the value and importance of creating spaces that are just right for you. When someone is looking to move and is picturing themselves in the home, it’s really challenging to do that if there’s no furniture — especially if it’s been a while since you’ve had a home or a space to call yours,” Marchewski said. “We thought this was the perfect opportunity for us to step in and do what we do best: provide products to help make apartments become homes with the help of the Wayfair team.”
Community Solutions is supported by Wayfair’s Neighborhood Fund, which promotes and supports nonprofits focused on creating more affordable, sustainable, accessible housing for all. Wayfair’s contributions to Community Solutions support Built for Zero’s work in helping large cities reduce homelessness, through supports like data coaching.
“Our mission is to support housing and a sense of home for all, and part of that is helping turn houses and apartments into spaces that truly feel like homes. Hopefully, with these model apartments, individuals can get a glimpse into what their home could look like and see how they can create spaces that are just right for them, creating that feeling of safety and comfort,” said Marchewski.
These properties in Jacksonville and Nashville are part of a unique real estate initiative spearheaded by Community Solutions that buys existing properties and uses half the units to house people exiting from homelessness. The other half of the units are preserved as affordable housing.
“Some of our tenants who are moving out of homelessness move in with very few personal belongings. Wayfair has helped us provide them not only with a place to live, but also the items they need to make that place feel like a home,” said Sweta Patel, Chief Impact Officer of BDP Impact Real Estate, a partner of Community Solutions that manages these properties.
