Aren't there many reasons a person can be homeless? I would expect that those folks working with NYC's homeless would have the best perspective on what to do with the money. The relatively low number of homeless people (as a percent of population) in NYC vs. Uganda and Syria would likely point to differing reasons for the majority of homelessness. My guess is that the homeless in NYC are far more likely to find themselves in their current situation due to mental illness or substance abuse than Syrian or Ugandan refugees that have horrific political and economic situations in which to live. The director of the rescue mission has first-hand experience with the homeless folks with which he works. I'd let him decide. Maybe there's some yet-to-be-understood reason for which Bill Gates and Warren were rebuffed also. The problem could very well have been the way in which they approached the folks they did.