About the Author
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
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Bloomberg grant will bring blockchain to the streets
Friday, February 23, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
The effort to tackle homelessness in Austin received a boost from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2018 Mayors Challenge this week, in the form of a $100,000 grant to fund a six-month project to increase access to public services by utilizing blockchain technology. The project’s intent is to provide a unique consistent identifier to the estimated 7,000 people who experience homelessness in the Austin area. Those people typically lack identification documents, which creates obstacles and delays in accessing assistance for housing, employment and other needed services. Austin was chosen as one of 35 Champion Cities by Bloomberg, and it joins Los Angeles in using the grant money to address homelessness. Issues that other cities chose to address include transportation, opioid addiction and reducing food waste.
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