Partners in the Delta

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The northeast Louisiana Mississippi Delta is known for its small towns, agriculture, and poverty. People still know their neighbors. Some families have known each other for generations. The poverty rates are some of the highest in the nation.

The first house built by Habitat for Humanity of Madison with the Delta Youthbuild program.

Decent, affordable housing has been scarce for decades in this Delta community. Efforts to spur development have been tried over the years, but barriers have stymied the best of intentions, ranging from environmental issues such as arsenic soil content from prior agricultural uses to a shortage of contractors, laborers, capacity and capital.

About ten years ago, the groundwork for a new synergy began to emerge from several seemingly unrelated events. In 1996, the Louisiana Technical College at Tallulah succeeded in getting a HUD Youthbuild capacity building grant and began what would become one of the most successful Youthbuild programs in the country. Led by a determined and dedicated director, Terry Murphy, the funding was the first of 10 HUD awards to the Tallulah "Youthbuild Delta" program, totaling $4 million to date.

Robert Miracle (center) in front of his new home with Terry Murphy (left) and Andy Saavedra.

About the same time, Madison Parish was awarded a Rural Development Enterprise Community designation, managed by Moses Williams, with the Northeast Louisiana Delta Community Development Corporation.

Then in 1997, the Kellogg Foundation's Mid-South Delta Initiative began a commitment to the Northeast Louisiana Delta out of their Food Systems and Rural Development Program. Andy Saavedra, a young energetic attorney and housing specialist from the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) in Washington, D.C. came down to work as housing and community development director of the Northeast Louisiana Delta Community Development Corporation.

Saavedra offered technical assistance on the development of single-family and multi-family housing, rehabilitation, individual development account programs and homebuyer education and credit counseling. In 1999, he became a program officer with the Mid South Delta LISC, responsible for activities in Northeast Louisiana and the new Delta Homeownership Initiative.

These partners began a collaboration that developed a synergy in this poverty stricken area and others joined them.

The City of Tallulah donated the use of the 10,000 square foot Youthbuild Delta Training Center as an in-kind contribution nine years ago. The Youthbuild Delta program developed partnerships with more than fifty organizations throughout its twelve-year history to provide services for students and linkages with business and industry.

Learning construction skills from the technical college, Youthbuild participants applied their knowledge in a variety of ways in the local community. The Northeast LA CDC offered trained prospective homeowners with financing assisted through the Rural Development 502 program. LISC continued its support with the Mid South Delta Initiative, and things started to happen.

In the past five years alone, this Delta community has seen some impressive results.

Over 250 at-risk youth have developed or improved their leadership, construction, academic and employability skills as a result of participating in the Youthbuild program.

Youthbuild participants have helped construct 24 new houses and rehabilitate16 homes. The partners in this effort realized that this northeast Louisiana Delta community could greatly benefit from a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Building houses for families in need through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds decent homes with the help of homeowner/partner families.

Getting a new affiliate off the ground was a major effort for this rural community, but two experienced partners stepped up to the plate. Andy Saavedra agreed to be president of Habitat for Humanity of Madison and Terry Murphy volunteered his Youthbuild program to help build houses.

Recently their hopes for another productive partnership were realized as Youthbuild Delta participants built the first Habitat for Humanity home in Madison Parish from the ground up. Robert Miracle and his eighteen-year-old daughter moved from a run-down rental property into a brand new home this summer.

There's more good news in the Delta. On September 21, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson awarded $300,000 in Rural Housing and Economic Development funding to the Louisiana Tech College Foundation in Tallulah to construct and rehabilitate six to eight housing units for low income families and to create 15 to 20 new jobs in Madison and East Carroll parishes.

In addition, 47 new jobs will be created with 80% of them going to low- and very low-income residents in the Northeast Louisiana Delta target area. Partners for the project include:

• St. Peter United Methodist Church;
• The Town of Lake Providence;
• Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church;
• The Madison Parish Police Jury;
• Louisiana Technical College;
• Youthbuild Delta;
• T.J. Williams Realty;
• East Carroll Parish Police Jury;
• East Carroll Parish School Board;
• Louisiana Tech School of Architecture and
• The SDA 83 Workforce Investment Board.

When partners work together, good things are possible. This rural community with some of the poorest census tracts in the nation has built some powerful partnerships - and skilled workers, new jobs and affordable homes as well.