Bloomberg grant will bring blockchain to the streets

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.