“Nonprofits have been a critical part of the effort to revitalize the Delta and bring improvements to the region,” a research report prepared by the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) stated. The report also stated, “The socioeconomic problems plaguing the region are serious, and housing conditions are nearly impossible to disarticulate from the larger economic realities within the region.”
While there does not seem to exist a simple nor effectual solution to said problems, as the HAC pointed out in its report, nonprofits like Greater Greenville Housing and Revitalization Association, Inc. (GGHRA) play a vital role in lessening the brunt of those problems.
As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Community Development Corporation (CDC) organization, GGHRA’s mission is to develop, provide and promote safe, affordable, and decent housing paired with a focus on designing, researching, and/or promoting revitalization activities in the Greenville community. One way in which GGHRA does this particularly is its Homeowner Rehabilitation Program.
Marketing coordinator for GGHRA Deanne New discussed the success of the program as the organization is currently in the process of applying for grant funds to assist disabled individuals and/or elderly homeowners repair structural issues associated with their homes.
“We’ve been doing it for ten years now and in those 10 years, we’ve rehabilitated over 213 homes,” New said. “We’ve used Planters Bank and Southern Bancorp as our partners, utilizing funds that come from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) through the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP).”
New noted GGHRA’s substantial waiting list for the program. “Greenville, statistically speaking, does have one of the worst housing stocks in the state of Mississippi because most homes are over 40 years old,” she highlighted, “so there is a need for repair on those homes.”
New added because GGHRA does have a substantial waiting list, the best thing for those who may need assistance to do is go on GGHRA’s website, gghra.org or contact the organization at 662-378-3121 to get on the waiting list.
Each year as funds are released, GGHRA goes through the waiting list starting from the top to see if those residents qualify.
