Amazon is Opening a Homeless Shelter Inside of Its Headquarters

To further its efforts in helping underserved communities, which previously involved a $2 billion USD pledge towards fighting homelessness, Amazon is now opening a homeless shelter right inside its Seattle headquarters.

According to reports, the new space will become the largest family shelter in the state of Washington, and be able to accommodate 275 people each night, with enough blankets and beds to house 400 families per year. It will also allow families to stay in private rooms where pets are permitted. 600,000 meals are expected to be served a year to those staying there through an industrial kitchen, with Amazon also funding its utilities, maintenance costs, and security for at least 10 years, and longer if needed. The project is part of a partnership between the tech giant and a non-profit — Mary’s Place — which has been running a homeless shelter at a Travelodge hotel in Amazon’s campus since four years ago.

While the 275-person capacity is comparatively small when contrasted with the 12,500 homeless people just in King County, reports suggest nonetheless that Amazon’s latest move shows a willingness from big tech to contribute back into their communities, with Facebook and Google both also working on more affordable housing in the San Francisco Bay area.

Elsewhere in tech, the world’s four largest tech companies are now worth a combined $4 trillion USD.