Communities Unlimited plans to expand entrepreneurship and housing efforts in Pine Bluff over the next two years with a new $500,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
At the heart of this work is CU’s Launch Local program that will activate vacant or underused storefronts in Pine Bluff by selecting local businesses through a competitive process and equipping them with small grants, technical assistance and training.
“In partnership with The Generator — Pine Bluff’s community hub and co-working space — CU will help entrepreneurs grow their businesses while breathing new life into the city’s commercial corridors,” according to a news release.
Launch Local is similar to a Memphis project called MEMShop began in 2012.
“Pine Bluff has incredible entrepreneurial talent and creativity, but too often business owners lack the space, resources, and support to grow,” said Cynthia Terry, CU’s director of entrepreneurship. “We’re excited to bring our proven MEMShop model — now rebranded as Launch Local — into Pine Bluff and across CU’s service area, giving entrepreneurs the tools to thrive while revitalizing commercial corridors.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
On the housing front, CU will collaborate with WE CENTER/WE BUILD, a Pine Bluff-based partner, to strengthen community repair capacity. The program will train apprentices in modular housing construction and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Eight Healthy Homes Principles, which promote dry, clean, safe, well-ventilated, pest-free, contaminant-free, well-maintained and thermally controlled living environments.
Apprentices will put their training to work through community repair projects, with CU providing oversight and technical assistance to ensure long-term impact.
“When you look around Pine Bluff, you find a community full of people working hard to make their city better for everyone, but you will also find neighborhoods with significant housing needs,” said Audra Butler, CU’s area director of rural housing. “The support of the Walton Family Foundation will allow CU and our partner, WE CENTER, to address some of the significant housing needs in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County. Together, we will ensure our neighbors have safe and healthy homes to live in and pass down to future generations.”
By combining business activation with housing repair, CU and its partners are laying the groundwork for healthier homes, stronger entrepreneurs, and revitalized neighborhoods across Pine Bluff, according to the release.
“Investing in people and ideas that drive lasting change is at the heart of this work,” said Abe Hudson, Walton Family Foundation, program officer for the Home Region Program. “This program is helping entrepreneurs transform unused commercial spaces while giving families safe, healthy homes for generations to come.”
COMMUNITIES UNLIMITED
Communities Unlimited Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 110 employees, leveraging $45.6 million in assets to deliver programs and services that impact 1.4 million people across more than 1,000 rural communities in the South. Founded in 1975, CU operates in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The organization connects rural Americans to solutions that foster healthy businesses, thriving communities, and an improved quality of life. Through a holistic approach that integrates human connection, technology and expertise, CU supports small businesses, sustainable water systems, rural housing, and economic development.