The classroom at the Renaissance Community Loan Fund (RCLF) in Gulfport, Mississippi, is usually used for financial advising classes for families and individuals preparing to purchase a home. On Wednesday, it was also a place of celebration as NeighborWorks America welcomed RCLF as its newest affiliate.
During the chartering ceremony, speakers talked about how much the nonprofit has done for the state since it was first created as a “short-term solution” to address an urgent housing need immediately following Hurricane Katrina. “Nineteen years later, we're still here, and stronger than ever,” shared Kimberly LaRosa, RCLF President & CEO. “That longevity is a testament to the resilience, adaptability and deep commitment of our team.”
RCLF’s mission is to facilitate the development of communities that provide safe, quality housing and to create economic opportunities in the communities they serve. Over nearly two decades, they’ve steadily expanded, growing staff, geographic reach and the scope of services. “What we’ve achieved in Mississippi is something we’re incredibly proud of,” LaRosa said. “Now, as we extend our efforts into Alabama, we carry with us the same values and passion that have driven us since day one. We’re deeply rooted in the communities we serve.”
Central to Renaissance’s mission is the belief that safe, stable and sustainable housing is not a privilege, but a right. “That’s what keeps us moving forward,” LaRosa shared.
From 2020 to 2024, that conviction turned into action: RCLF closed on over a thousand loans, directing more than $79 million toward helping individuals and families secure the funding they deserved.
Distinguished guests
Jeremy Martin, outreach coordinator for RCLF, served as emcee of the event, which featured Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Chairman of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, as a special guest, along with State Sen. Jeremy England and representatives for Sen. Roger Wicker.
Hyde-Smith praised the organization for its work, calling staffers “soldiers and angels.”
“The work that you do is so incredibly important,” she said, acknowledging the difficulty of that work. “But there is nothing more rewarding than celebrating with these families” as they become first-time homeowners.
“Mississippi has some great people, and it has great, great potential,” she said. “And it has people like you that help to rise people up. … You will be a part of Congressionally chartered and funded nonprofit organization that is going to help all of the communities in Mississippi and then your expansion into Alabama … You’re doing more for Mississippians than I think you will ever realize.”
Hyde-Smith was a state senator during Hurricane Katrina. She remembers flying over the flooded landscape after the storm and wondering how the community could ever recover.
“And then today, 20 years later, to see the things that have developed because we had to – it taught us resilience but it taught us to help somebody besides ourselves. The work you do ensures Mississippians have the opportunity to seek a better life for themselves and their children. … Through the years, I have seen so many families who, if they had had just an ounce of this help would have changed the trajectory of their lives and their children’s lives.”
Part of a network of excellence
The NeighborWorks network includes nearly 250 affordable housing and community development nonprofits located in every state, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. When NeighborWorks adds new affiliates, it is to help increase the collective impact across the country and to fill programmatic needs and service area gaps. RCLF becomes the second affiliate in Mississippi, joining Hope Enterprise Corp.
“I’m excited to welcome RCLF into the NeighborWorks network,” NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez shared in a statement. “As one of the region’s most important lenders to low- and moderate-income homebuyers, and their extensive support to small and medium-sized businesses, RCLF exemplifies the end-to-end approach to community development that is a hallmark of the NeighborWorks network.”
Katie Watts, senior vice president of Field Operations for NeighborWorks America, spoke at the event, saying that what stands out most about RCLF is not only what they do, but how they do it, “with integrity, vision and a commitment to solutions that build wealth, ignite business growth and expand access to homeownership. The nearly 3,600 loans totaling $188 million and 3,500 jobs created or retained are more than just data points, they reflect lives changed, economies thriving and futures reshaped.
“This is what community reinvestment looks like in action: Families not just achieving, but sustaining their dream of homeownership. Entrepreneurs launching businesses that anchor main streets and fuel innovation. Local workers gaining access to stable housing near their jobs. These ripple effects stretch across neighborhoods, strengthening tax bases, driving consumer spending and expanding opportunity for the next generation.”
Becoming a NeighborWorks affiliate took years, LaRosa said. “But we knew a partnership with NeighborWorks America would be a gamechanger for RCLF and would allow us to bring innovative programs and funding to the region. And finally – it happened! We’re thrilled to join a network that shares our deep commitment to expanding housing opportunities. This partnership brings new tools, resources and innovation that will help RCLF better serve families across Mississippi and Alabama.”
As a NeighborWorks affiliate, RCLF will receive flexible funding for local housing investments and job creation, along with increased resources in the housing industry and proven strategies. The network operates, in a sense, as a learning lab, where ideas and programs are tried, proven, shared and scaled.
RCLF brings its own experience to the network. “One of the unique strengths we bring to the NeighborWorks network is our ability to raise capital and build strong financial partnerships in a region where that’s often difficult,” LaRosa explained. “Operating in Mississippi — a state without large, national banks — presents real challenges when it comes to traditional funding opportunities. Despite that, we’ve developed meaningful relationships with financial institutions, grown our capital base and reduced our dependence on grant funding.”
The nonprofit’s experience shows that even in under-resourced environments, it’s possible to build financial sustainability through persistence, creativity and community trust, LaRosa said. “We hope our journey can serve as a model for other organizations working in similar landscapes, demonstrating that sustainable success is possible – not by chance but by choice.”
