Delta Regional Authority Welcomes Nine Healthcare Facilities to Technical Assistance Program
Cohort 2023 includes healthcare facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri
Clarksdale, MS – Delta Regional Authority (DRA) today announced nine additional healthcare facilities have been chosen to participate and receive technical support through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program, which enhances healthcare delivery by providing technical assistance to critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals, rural health clinics, and other healthcare organizations across DRA’s service area.
“Access to affordable, high-quality health and wellbeing services is crucial for improving residents’ quality of life and fostering economic prosperity in rural communities,” said Federal Co-Chairman Dr. Corey Wiggins. “Investing in intensive technical assistance for healthcare providers through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program not only enhances healthcare delivery but also serves as a catalyst for economic development in rural communities across DRA’s region.”
In 2017, DRA partnered with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to establish the DRCHSD Program. The technical assistance provided by subject matter experts at the National Rural Health Resource Center supports capacity building in the areas of financial and operational efficiency, quality improvement, telehealth, community coordination, population health, emergency medical services, and workforce recruitment and retention. From 2017 to 2023, the program supported 54 organizations in 52 DRA communities across DRA’s eight-state region.
The following nine healthcare facilities were selected for the DRCHSD Cohort in 2023.
Alabama
Atmore Community Hospital, Atmore, Alabama, is an acute care hospital that serves Escambia County.
Arkansas
Baptist Health Medical Center Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Arkansas, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves Arkansas County.
Louisiana
DeSoto Regional Health System, Mansfield, Louisiana, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves DeSoto Parish.
Mississippi
Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services, Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a federally qualified health center that serves Coahoma County.
Delta Health System Medical Center, Greenville, Mississippi, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves Washington County.
Jefferson County Hospital, Fayette, Mississippi, is a rural emergency hospital that serves Jefferson County.
Quality Family Medical Clinic, Greenville, Mississippi, is a rural health clinic that serves Washington County.
Tallahatchie General Hospital, Charleston, Mississippi, is a critical access hospital that serves Tallahatchie County.
Missouri
Texas County Memorial Hospital, Houston, Missouri, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves Texas County.
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About the Delta Regional Authority
The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
HUD Announces Agreement with Affordable Rental Housing Provider to Increase Housing Opportunity
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has entered a Voluntary Compliance Agreement for Shore Hill Apartments resolving a compliance review concerning non-discrimination in marketing and tenanting procedures. Shore Hill Apartments is a 558-unit multifamily property comprised of studio and one-bedroom units in Brooklyn, New York. The property provides affordable subsidized units through the Section 8 program for families with a member who is 62 or older or has a disability, including otherwise qualified families with children. Read the Agreement.
HUD enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. HUD also enforces other federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
“Restrictive occupancy policies can limit housing opportunities for families in a manner that is discriminatory,” said Demetria L. McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD is committed to ensuring that every eligible applicant has a meaningful opportunity to participate in HUD funded housing programs.”
This Agreement arises from a compliance review that was conducted by HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) under Title VI and Section 504. FHEO opened the review based on information indicating disproportionately low participation rates of Black and Hispanic residents relative to the housing market area over decades, extending to prior owners of the property. The review sought to ensure eligible persons were not discriminated against in opportunities to learn about, apply to, and reside in HUD subsidized housing on the basis of race, color or national origin. In particular, the review revealed the property’s occupancy standard restricted occupancy of studio units to a family size of one and one-bedroom units to a family size of two, contributing to denials based on race and deterring families as small as two persons from applying to the property. FHEO expanded the review to include Section 504 when the investigation revealed the property had a practice of denying families with heads of households under 62 years of age, without considering whether the household was otherwise eligible to apply to and reside in the property on the basis of disability.
The Agreement provides a fund in the amount of $510,000 to compensate individuals who were either denied due to the restrictive occupancy policy, or individuals with disabilities who were improperly denied housing. In addition, the Agreement requires creation of a new waitlist after robust marketing to those least likely to apply, committing a minimum of $10,000 towards advertising, outreach, and website development; affirmative agreement not to adopt an elderly preference and to consider equally for tenancy otherwise qualified applicants with disabilities and applicants aged 62 or over; and revising the property’s occupancy policy to be no more restrictive than local ordinance. This Agreement does not constitute admissions by the housing providers or evidence of a final determination by HUD of violations of Title VI, Section 504, or any other laws.
Individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination in housing may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (Federal Relay Service).
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $5.5 Billion in Grants for Affordable Housing, Community Development, and Homeless Assistance to Drive Economic Growth
Funding empowers 1,200 communities: addressing urgent local needs, boosting economic growth, enhancing community resilience, creating jobs, and advancing housing solutions.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced $5.5 billion in funding that will go to 1,200 communities through more than 2,400 grants to States, urban counties, insular areas, DC, Puerto Rico, and localities across the country. These annual formula grants provide critical funding for a wide range of activities to address their most pressing local needs, providing flexible resources to build homes, support renters and homeowners, provide life-saving assistance to people experiencing homelessness, create jobs, and improve public facilities, community resilience, and local economies. The White House announced these funds this morning, and HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman will highlight the announcement at a press conference in Reno, Nevada today.
“Homeownership is an essential part of the American Dream that represents so much more than a roof over our heads. For people all across our nation, a home represents financial security, the opportunity to build wealth and equity, and a foundation for a better future for themselves, their children, and future generations,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “That is why President Biden and I are expanding on our historic investments in housing by announcing $5.5 billion that will increase access to affordable housing, invest in economic growth, and address homelessness in communities throughout America. This funding will build more affordable homes and support renters and homeowners while also lowering costs, building wealth, and creating jobs.”
“A coordinated whole-of-community approach is crucial to build strong and resilient communities, invest in decent housing, create healthy environments, expand economic opportunities accessible to low-income households, and support aspiring homebuyers and those experiencing homelessness,” said Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman. “The funding made available today serves as building blocks to empower communities to take ownership of community development investments and put the needs of residents first.”
“For 50 years HUD has provided flexible grant funding so that communities nationwide can make their own choices about addressing their most urgent challenges. These funds will be used to create permanent housing, offer temporary shelter, provide downpayment assistance for ready homebuyers, support community infrastructure - like water and sewer projects - and invest in small businesses,” said Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
The next step is for communities to seek public feedback on their proposed use of the funds. Find your local grantee on our HUD Exchange website here.
The grants announced today are provided through the following HUD programs:
$3.3 billion to 1,254 grantees to build stronger communities — The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) provide annual grants on a formula basis to States, cities, counties, and insular areas to develop stronger, more resilient communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income people. In 2023 the program helped over 62,000 families through housing activities, 25,500 individuals through job creation or retention, 52,000 people experiencing homelessness through improvements to homelessness facilities, over 5.4 million people through public services, and over 41.8 million people through public improvements.
$1.3 billion to 668 grantees to build affordable housing — The HOME Investment
Partnerships Program (HOME) is the primary Federal tool of States and local governments to produce affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for low-income families. HOME funds a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME projects leverage non-federal funds including, in many cases, tax credits for affordable rental housing. In 2023 the program helped create over 13,000 units of housing and more than 13,000 households were assisted with tenant based rental assistance through the HOME program.
$455 million to 130 grantees to connect people with HIV/AIDS to housing and support — The Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) program provides stable and permanent housing assistance and supportive services to low-income people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Over 100,000 households receive HOPWA housing assistance and/or supportive services annually.
$290 million to 357 grantees to address homelessness — Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) provides funds for homeless shelters, assists in the operation of local shelters, and funds related social service and homeless prevention programs. Recipients enable people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. ESG funds may be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing assistance. Annually, ESG connects over 350,000 people to emergency shelter as they transition to permanent housing.
$30 million to 23 States and the District of Columbia to support recovery from substance use disorder — The Recovery Housing Program (RHP) allows States and the District of Columbia to provide stable, transitional housing for individuals in recovery from a substance-use disorder.
$214 million to every state to increase affordable housing supply – Housing Trust Fund (HTF) is an affordable housing production program that complements existing Federal, state and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households, including families experiencing homelessness. HTF is a formula-based program for States and U.S. Territories. By law, each state is allocated a minimum of $3 million. State affordable housing recipients will use these funds for the eligible activities including real property acquisition, site improvements and development hard costs, related soft costs, demolition, financing costs, relocation assistance, operating cost assistance for rental housing (up to 30% of each grant), and before reasonable administrative and planning costs. In 2023 the program helped create over 1,681 units of affordable rental housing for extremely low-income households.
Combined, the programs will provide critically needed funding to thousands of local programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawai’i, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands.