What Facing Homelessness does

Facing Homelessness is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by architect Rex Hohlbein. The organization operates as an all-volunteer, community-sustained entity with no paid staff, funded through charitable donations processed via givebutter.com and through a matching grants program. Its mission is to inspire relationships for the purpose of ending homelessness, using the "Just Say Hello" campaign to encourage direct human connection with individuals experiencing homelessness as a means of breaking stigma and enabling support.

The organization's service portfolio comprises three interconnected programs. The Just Say Hello campaign is a community outreach initiative encouraging authentic one-on-one engagement with people struggling with homelessness. The BLOCK Project, launched in 2016, places backyard cottages (tiny homes) for unhoused individuals by partnering with Seattle-area homeowners who volunteer their backyards; the program has been described by Real Change News as having an "astonishing success rate." A Matching Grants Program funds innovative community-driven projects addressing homelessness. Distribution and outreach rely on earned media coverage (PBS, Smithsonian Magazine, KNKX, Real Change, Cascade PBS, Seattle Business Journal), photography exhibitions, and a Vimeo-distributed documentary, with the BLOCK Project having been featured at the Pacific Science Center in 2018 and endorsed by Seattle City Council in 2017.

The business model is a donation-based nonprofit model with no commercial pricing, no proprietary technology platform, and no revenue-generating products. The go-to-market motion is community-led: growth is driven by volunteer participation, homeowner hosts, and media advocacy rather than sales. The organization is geographically concentrated in Seattle, Washington, with no disclosed national or international expansion. Importantly, this entity is not a conventional investment target — it is a volunteer-driven nonprofit with no financial returns to investors, and analysis must be read accordingly.

Name

Facing Homelessness

Legal name

Facing Homelessness 501c3

Website

https://facinghomelessness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Facing Homelessness is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 in Seattle that runs the Just Say Hello campaign and the BLOCK Project, a backyard cottage housing program pairing homeless individuals with homeowner volunteers, funded by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Homelessness services
• Community outreach programs
• Affordable housing initiatives
• Social services nonprofit
• Backyard cottage housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Facing Homelessness operates as a 501c3 nonprofit sustained by community donations. The organization accepts donations through its website via givebutter.com and operates entirely on volunteer labor with no paid staff.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Facing Homelessness is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that runs three community programs: the 'Just Say Hello' human-connection campaign, the BLOCK Project (backyard cottage housing matching homeless individuals with homeowner volunteers), and a Matching Grants Program that funds community-driven solutions to homelessness.

Product overview

Facing Homelessness operates as a non-profit organization (501c3) focused on inspiring relationships to end homelessness. The organization offers three interconnected programs: the core "Just Say Hello" outreach initiative that encourages authentic human connection with those struggling; "The BLOCK Project" which provides backyard cottages and tiny homes for unhoused individuals by partnering with homeowner volunteers; and a Matching Grants Program that funds innovative community-driven solutions to homelessness. The organization functions as an all-volunteer, community-sustained entity focused on facilitation and relationship-building rather than traditional product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The BLOCK Project: A backyard cottage program for homeless people that has achieved an astonishing success rate, providing housing solutions through community partnerships.

Products and services

• Just Say Hello

Quantifiable outcome

• BLOCK Project backyard cottage program for homeless people has an 'astonishing success rate' reported by Real Change news (2023).

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Pacific Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The BLOCK home designed by Facing Homelessness was featured in an exhibition at the Pacific Science Center in November 2018, showcasing innovative living solutions to a broad public audience.
• Real Change NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReal Change News has published multiple stories about Facing Homelessness programs, including coverage of the BLOCK Project's success rate and the Just Say Hello campaign, providing ongoing media visibility.
• Pagliacci PizzaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPagliacci Pizza published a story on 'Humanizing Homelessness' featuring Facing Homelessness, contributing to public awareness.
• Seattle City CouncilminorOthersSeattle City Council has featured the BLOCK Project on its blog, with a post titled 'Success! One BLOCK at a Time' (December 2017), indicating institutional support for the program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Compass Housing Alliance: Seattle/Puget Sound nonprofit providing shelters, housing, and supportive services across multiple housing programs. Comparable as a regional nonprofit operating housing and homelessness programs in the same geography.
• SHARE/WHEEL (Self-Help Housing): Seattle-area self-managed housing cooperatives and shelter network serving people experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a community-led Seattle housing and shelter organization.
• Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI): Seattle-area nonprofit that develops and operates affordable housing including the well-known 'tiny house village' model for people experiencing homelessness. Closely comparable given the shared tiny-home/community-integrated housing approach.
• YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish: Regional YWCA chapter operating housing, shelter, and advocacy programs including for women experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area. Comparable as a regional nonprofit addressing homelessness and housing insecurity.
• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: Regional social services nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and homelessness programs across Western Washington. Comparable as a faith-affiliated provider of homelessness and housing services in the same region.
• DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center): Major Seattle homelessness and behavioral health services provider operating shelters, supportive housing, and outreach. Comparable as a Seattle-based nonprofit addressing homelessness through housing and case management.
• Mary's Place: Seattle-based nonprofit operating emergency family shelters and housing programs. Directly comparable as a Seattle-focused homelessness services provider serving similar client populations, though at a larger operational scale.
• Operation Nightwatch: Seattle-based volunteer-driven nonprofit offering overnight shelter and outreach to people experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a volunteer-led Seattle homelessness services organization.

Broad incumbents

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy organization focused on affordable housing policy and homelessness. Comparable as a homelessness/housing advocacy organization, though operating at a federal policy level rather than direct service delivery.
• Community Solutions: National nonprofit running the 'Built for Zero' initiative that helps cities functionally end homelessness through data-driven coordination. Comparable as a homelessness-systems-change organization operating at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/facinghomeless

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Facing Homelessness