Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Announce Historic Affordable Housing Initiative.

Gift Will Be the Foundation's Largest in the Pacific Northwest

WHAT: Announcement by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will be

the largest single philanthropic commitment to transitional or

emergency housing programs in the nation.

Bill Gates Sr., CEO & Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation will make the announcement. Representatives from

agencies benefiting from the grant will join him.

WHEN: July 27, 2000

1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Mayor's Conference Room

Office of the Mayor-City of Seattle

600 Fourth Avenue, 12th Floor

Seattle, WA 98104

NOTE: A mult-box will be provided, but there will be no additional

lighting.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to improving people's lives by sharing advances in health and learning with the global community. Led by Bill Gates' father, William H. Gates, Sr., and Patty Stonesifer, the Seattle-based Foundation has an asset base of $21.8 billion. Preventing deadly diseases among poor children by expanding access to vaccines, and developing vaccines against malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, are central priorities. Other major efforts include extending unprecedented opportunities for learning by bringing computers with Internet access to every eligible library in the U.S. and Canada, and providing scholarships to academically talented minority students in the U.S. with severe financial needs through the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (www.gmsp.org). For complete information and grant guidelines, visit www.gatesfoundation.org.

CONTACT: Trevor Neilson, 206-709-3112, or cell, 206-619-4444, or Joe Cerrell, 206-239-0147, or cell, 206-396-5776, both for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.