Free home repair program to begin
Communities Unlimited’s Healthy Home application window is open today through Aug. 29 for free home repairs for eligible residents.
Eligible residents of the Desha and Jefferson counties in Arkansas and Coahoma and Humphreys counties in Mississippi can now apply for free home repairs that improve the health and safety of their homes, according to a news release.
CU was awarded a $2 million Healthy Homes Production Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funding will support CU’s new Healthy Homes Housing Repair Program, which will address unsafe and unhealthy housing conditions in some of the most rural areas of the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Applications can be requested or submitted by email to housing@communitiesu.org or picked up and dropped off at designated community locations.
The application pick-up and drop-off locations in Arkansas include: The Generator – Pine Bluff; McGehee City Hall; Dumas City Hall; and Dumas Public Library.
The program is designed to improve the quality of life for low-income families, seniors and individuals with disabilities by completing critical home repairs that directly impact health and safety.
Eligibility requirements include: Owner-occupied, single-family home serving as the primary residence; household income at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI); a minimum of 151 homes will receive assistance — in regions where substandard housing remains a major barrier to health, stability and economic opportunity.
Repairs will focus on issues such as mold and moisture mitigation, roof replacement, plumbing and electrical system improvements, weatherization, pest management and removal of safety hazards. The work will be guided by HUD’s Eight Healthy Homes Principles, which promote dry, clean, safe, well-ventilated, pest-free, contaminant-free, well-maintained and thermally controlled living environments.
Each participating household will receive a Healthy Homes Assessment and work with CU to develop an Individualized Preservation Plan (IPP). These plans will prioritize immediate needs, outline future maintenance and connect homeowners to resources for long-term housing sustainability and disaster resilience. The program is scheduled to run through 2028.
Additional locations in each community will have applications available for pick-up only. Communities Unlimited is also seeking qualified local contractors to complete repair work in the four target counties. Contractors interested in participating should call (479) 443-2700.
For general program inquiries, visit the Healthy Homes webpage at https://communitiesu.org/healthy-homes/or contact Vinetria Johnson at (601) 447-8117 or vinetria.johnson@communitiesu.org.
Traffic safety campaign underway
As part of the speed reduction awareness and high-visibility enforcement campaign, Speeding Slows You Down, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Pine Bluff Police Department reminds everyone that speeding has life-threatening consequences and to obey speed limits.
Through July 31, law enforcement agencies will join this campaign by providing high-visibility patrol and issuing speeding citations to drivers breaking the law.
“Speed limits are set to keep all road users safe,” Lt. DeShawn Bennett, PBPD public information officer, said in a news release.
“They minimize the likelihood of crashes and the force of a crash’s impact on a person’s body, which dramatically increases with each additional 10 miles per hour of speed. When a driver or motorcyclist drives above the speed limit, they are acting with no regard for their life, the lives of others on the road, and the law. That remains true regardless of the reason a person chooses to drive over the speed limit,” Bennett said.
Speeding is an aggressive and deadly behavior. It reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object or an unexpected curve.
“We are calling on everyone to show regard for all road users’ lives and safety, including their own, by following the speed limits everywhere and all the time,” said Bennett. “Posted speed limits are the law. When everyone abides by them, they are fulfilling their responsibility of helping prevent life-altering injuries and fatalities. We’re putting all drivers on alert — follow the law.”
Chamber announces luncheon
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 6 at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Business Support Incubator, 615 S. Main St.
The speaker will be Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., according to the Chamber newsletter. Lunch will be catered by Simmons Cafe. The cost is $15 and must be paid in advance. Details: The Chamber, (870) 535-0110.
Dumas obtains DRA funds
The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has awarded more than $1.5 million to 13 communities across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee in its first round of funding through the Strategic Planning Program.
In southeast Arkansas, the city of Dumas was awarded more than $117,000 to develop a business and workforce development plan that will serve as an economic revitalization roadmap for the city, according to a news release.
DRA’s Strategic Planning Program provides communities with resources to develop strategies that maximize opportunities in public infrastructure, workforce development, and small business development and entrepreneurship.
DRA is currently accepting applications for the second round of the 2025 Strategic Planning Program. The application deadline is Aug. 1. For details or to apply, visit www.dra.gov.