Nonprofit Receives $58K in Grants to Improve Access to Affordable Housing Solutions in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 18, 2025--

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) in collaboration with five of its members—BankPlus, Cadence Bank, Citizens National Bank, Community Bank of Mississippi and Trustmark Bank—awarded $58,500 to Housing Education and Economic Development Inc. (HEED) to strengthen housing counseling efforts across Mississippi.

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The grants, supported by FHLB Dallas’ Partnership Grant Program (PGP), will help HEED expand its organizational capacity and housing counseling to better serve residents seeking affordable housing solutions.

“We are incredibly grateful to all banks for this generous support through FHLB Dallas’ Partnership Grant Program,” said HEED Executive Director Charles Harris. “This funding will significantly enhance our ability to empower more Mississippi residents on their journey toward stable, affordable housing.”

Over the last 36 years, HEED has helped more than 12,000 clients, making housing more fair and financially accessible.

“HEED’s work not only supports individual households but also strengthens the sense of community that makes our neighborhoods thrive,” said BankPlus Community Affairs Officer Ralph Jackson.

Cadence Bank’s Jackson Market President Michael Booker said that the grants will allow HEED to continue helping people navigate financial challenges.

“These grants will allow HEED to equip more Mississippi families with the tools and guidance needed to stay in their homes and build long-term financial stability,” he said.

Citizens National Bank’s Community Development Director Tra Alford said these grants will contribute to the financial success of Mississippi families.

“Thanks to these grants, HEED can expand their education and support services, empowering individuals and families to make informed financial decisions,” he said.

Community Bank of Mississippi had last provided HEED with a PGP grant in 2022.

“The PGP remains a wonderful opportunity to showcase our commitment to community partnerships, highlighting how local nonprofits and financial institutions can work together toward the shared goal of investing in the Jackson community,” said Rieko Wells, CRA officer at Community Bank of Mississippi.

Trustmark Bank’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Development, Sherry Rainey, said these grants enable HEED to expand its fair housing counseling.

“These grants will have a significant impact in helping Mississippians navigate the path to homeownership with confidence,” she said.

The FHLB Dallas PGP offers up to a 5:1 match of member contributions—up to $25,000 per FHLB Dallas member—to support community-based organizations involved in affordable housing or economic development activities that complement other FHLB Dallas community investment programs.

“By supplementing the financial support of our members to organizations like HEED, we’re creating a ripple effect addressing some of the root challenges of affordable housing and helping communities move toward greater stability and opportunity,” said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas.

Learn more about the PGP.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $112.2 billion as of September 30, 2025, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.

Representatives from five FHLB Dallas member institutions came together to present a $58,500 Partnership Grant Program check to Housing Education and Economic Development Inc. (HEED) to support housing counseling initiatives across Mississippi.

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, killing at least 25 people, including tourists, the state’s chief minister said Sunday.

The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been recovered.

The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, it said.

Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said.

The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said.

Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. The state government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, he said, adding that authorities would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the violations.

Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire "deeply saddening# and said he spoke with Sawant. Modi said the government “is providing all possible assistance” while offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.

“This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post. He called for a transparent probe to "fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don’t occur again.”

The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.

The charred interiors of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, are seen in Arpora, Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)