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Oct. 25, 2008
Hollywood is 1st Coast Casino to Offer Housing Aid - Sun Herald
Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis has allocated $20,000 to help employees buy homes through the Regional
Employer Assisted Collaboration for Housing program.
REACH Mississippi, a program of the Gulf Coast Renaissance Corp., will match Hollywood Casino's
contributions three to one, giving four eligible families a total of $20,000 in down-payment and closing-cost
assistance.
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Oct. 22, 2008
JCCAA helps 35 Jackson County public sector employees buy homes
The Jackson County Civic Action Agency has awarded the Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation $350,000 to help public sector employees, teachers and nonprofit employees in Jackson County buy homes. The money will be added to a $2 million pool of funds designated for scholarships to employers in the three coastal counties to help them participate in the REACH Mississippi program.
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Oct. 12, 2008
Report on REACH Mississippi in Jackson County - The Mississippi Press
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Sept. 30, 2008
Renaissance endorses Warm Welcome Gulf Coast, an initiative of Back Bay Mission
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Sept. 16, 2008
REACH receives first 100 homeownership applicants
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Sept. 5, 2008
Renaissance to become CDFI
The Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation was awarded a $96,876 grant from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. This grant is for technical assistance to allow the Renaissance Corporation to become a certified Community Development Financial Institution.
The award is part of $54.2 million the US Treasury Department awarded to 89 organizations serving economically distressed communities across the nation. The awards are being made through the fiscal year 2008 round of the CDFI Program. Renaissance was the only Mississippi-based organization awarded in this round.
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August 2008
Housing Assistance on the Way - Sun Herald
Renaissance launches the REACH Mississippi program and announces help for public sector and other employers
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Program to help Coastal Workers Buy Homes - The Mississippi Press
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Housing Initiative For South Mississippi's Work Force Unveiled -WLOX
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Sun Herald: Partners unveil housing fund
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WLOX: Workforce Housing Renaissance
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July 2008
Kimberly LaRosa named President/CEO of Renaissance
The Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation’s board of directors has elected Kimberly LaRosa as President and CEO effective immediately. LaRosa previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Renaissance.
Sun Herald Editorial: Housing market can and must meet the needs of both buyers and sellers
June 2008
WLOX: Homeowner Assistance Program Tested In Ocean Springs
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One step forward, two steps back
A Reporter Analysis by Dick Polman
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May 2008
Governor Haley Barbour Speaks at Government Exchange
Governor Haley Barbour joined city and county elected officials May 14 for the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Government Exchange. Business Council Chairman, Anthony Topazi, began the meeting with an updates on the REACH Mississippi program and encouraged the elected official’s support in this effort. Topazi also reminded the attendees of the Business Council’s efforts towards establishing the Gulf Coast as a tier one tourism destination. Governor Haley Barbour explained that this year is the critical year for the coast’s hurricane recovery, and stressed the importance of beginning many of the approved environmental and water/sewer projects.
The Government Exchange is a quarterly program of the Legislative and Governmental Committee that aims to maintain partnerships and collaboration with elected officials. The May 14 Exchange was the forth forum held since the Business Council’s formation.
Coastians still lack housing
By MICHAEL NEWSOM
mmnewsom@sunherald.com
Locals say the thousands of volunteers expected to pour into the area to build single-family homes this week are sorely needed, because, though it has been almost three years since Hurricane Katrina, housing is still a major issue.
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April 2008
Governor Barbour Signs REACH Mississippi Bill
The Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation’s main program of focus moved one step closer to reality last week when Governor Haley Barbour signed into law House Bill 1482. The REACH Mississippi Bill, supported by the Gulf Coast Business Council, will provide tax relief to working families with incomes below 120 percent of the area median income by allowing them to exclude certain funds from employer-assisted housing (EAH) programs from their taxable income. To view the signed bill, click here.
March 2008
Renaissance, Business Council and Tradition sponsor visit from Prince Charles’ housing advocate
South Mississippi is rolling out the red carpet to welcome the leader of Prince Charles’ charity to support sustainable communities. On Monday, Hank Dittmar, Chief Executive of the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, will tour several Harrison County developments and speak to area business and community leaders about the foundation’s efforts to promote affordable housing and teach traditional homebuilding crafts, sustainability principles and green building practices. Tour stops will include Hope VI, the East Biloxi Coordination Center, Mississippi State University Community Design Studio, the Veteran’s Administration site in Gulfport and a North Gulfport Community Land Trust’s model home.
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Knight Foundation Grant, Volunteers Support Habitat for Humanity's 25th Annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project on the Gulf Coast
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February 2008
Congratulations to all who received funding through the long term workforce housing fund. Renaissance was thrilled when Gov. Barbour announced today $40 million has been allotted for our REACH Mississippi program and $15 million for our East Bank Redevelopment project in Pascagoula. Great things are possible through partnership and without the participation of fantastic organizations from all sectors, these programs would not have been achievable. Through these awards, we will be able to help thousands of struggling families in South Mississippi.
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Feb. 20, 2008 – Governor Barbour Awards Affordable Housing Grants – WLOX
Northrop receives housing award
SUN HERALD
Posted on Tue, Feb. 12, 2008
PASCAGOULA -- Northrop Grumman Corp. has received a 2008 Pioneer Award from Homes for Working Families for its employee-assisted housing program.
The Washington, D.C.-based national, nonprofit organization recognized the company, which includes Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast Operations in Pascagoula, at an event in Washington on Monday. HWF also released a resource for employers, "Understanding Employer-Assisted Housing: A Guidebook for Employers," on Monday morning.
Northrop's Gulf Coast Operations is preparing to launch an employer-assisted housing program for employees who otherwise would not have access to affordable housing, said spokesman Bill Glenn. Designed as a recruitment and retention tool, the program will provide financial assistance through down payments, funds in the form of a forgivable loan and counseling to eligible employees who have been employed with the company for at least six months.
April 2007
Sun Herald Editorial
Renaissance Corp. breathes new life into housing
To fully appreciate the impact the new Renaissance Corporation can have on the future of South Mississippi, try imagining that future without such an innovative, nonprofit group:
- Traffic, traffic, traffic. The greatest loss of housing resulting from Hurricane Katrina was near the shoreline, where thousands of jobs are concentrated. Without intense efforts to develop housing for workers near their jobs, most of the affordable housing would be far to the north, greatly increasing commute times, fuel costs and traffic congestion, while decreasing quality of life.
- Huge housing gap. Land and insurance costs have sent building costs skyrocketing, along with the prices that builders and developers must charge for houses and apartments. Without some new and creative financing programs, thousands of middle-income workers would not be able to afford the homes that are built.
- Decaying city cores. Infill housing — replacing destroyed or aging homes near our cities’ downtowns — is a vital key to redevelopment that would be ignored by developers seeking higher profit margins and less-complicated land purchases.
- What new jobs? South Mississippi’s growth would stall, because businesses do not bring jobs to places where housing for employees is unavailable or unaffordable.
This unattractive future could be ours, but a number of local leaders stepped up and said, “We can do better.”
Recognizing that traditional market forces would leave significant gaps in South Mississippi’s post-Katrina housing needs, the Gulf Coast Business Council created Renaissance. The goal is to assist in making housing available for the average working family, those earning 80 to 120 percent of the average median income — too much for any federal programs, but not quite enough for our suddenly higher housing market. Because mixed-income housing is the organization’s model, the benefits will touch all income levels.
Chairman Anthony Topazi, president and CEO Laura Davis, and a diverse local board are off and running with the challenge to develop safe, affordable and attractive housing for the local work force.
Key steps in reaching that goal will include significant capitalization, an estimated $50 million to $100 million in private and public funds, for land acquisition and creative financing programs. Recognizing that such a large investment carries large responsibility; Renaissance pledges that its operations will be transparent, inclusive and accountable.
Renaissance will bring together and work with developers, employers and a broad advisory group of local organizations and other nonprofits. Where appropriate, it welcomes the background role of facilitator. “We don’t want to be duplicative or competitive,” says Topazi, “we want to be compatible and cooperative.”
All across South Mississippi, people are working together toward the goal of rebuilding a beautiful place where people want to live, work and play. By accomplishing its goals, the Renaissance Corporation will enable thousands who want to . . . to be able to afford to.
The editorial above represents the views of the Sun Herald editorial board: Publisher Ricky R. Mathews, Executive Editor Stan Tiner, Chief Financial Officer Flora S. Point, Opinion Page Editor Marie Harris and Associate Editor Tony Biffle.
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