Felisha Stevenson has lived her whole life in this all-Black town of 852 people where everybody knows everybody, but there is little opportunity for upward mobility and homeownership.

“My family, my mom, my cousin, my uncles, we’re just close,” the 40-year-old said. “In the neighborhood that I stay in right now, my sister is next door. My uncle is across the street.”

There’s limited industry in Jonestown, Mississippi. There’s no grocery or dollar stores. The median household income is $21,700, and more than 56% of people live below the poverty line, leaving little possibility for homeownership.

Despite the challenges and lack of opportunity for homeownership, Stevenson doesn’t want to leave because of the close proximity to her family. While she loves the close-knit community, she hasn’t found a place to call her own. The lack of housing in the area forces her to rent, delaying her dreams of building generational wealth and passing down a home to her daughter.

It’s a recipe that makes homeownership unattainable for people in Jonestown and other rural communities. Across rural America, particularly in places with extreme poverty like Jonestown, substandard housing is common, meaning homes can lack hot and cold water or even basic plumbing, according to the National Rural Housing Coalition.

Homes in rural areas are often overcrowded and their residents, about 50% of whom are poor, use half of their incomes toward housing. While fewer homes are being built nationwide, it’s worse in rural areas because of the lack of jobs and housing for workers. While there is federal support such as loans and grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service, some may not be eligible. Others say there’s a need for more urgent support.

One nonprofit is hoping to address the need: But God Ministries, a nonprofit that shares the love of Jesus Christ by building sustainable communities and the opportunity for homeownership.

The organization is constructing a 10-home neighborhood to support homeownership. This project evolved out of yearslong work in the Jonestown community orchestrated by But God Ministries. Already, the organization has opened a dental clinic, launched an after-school program, and built the $3 million Hope Field, a state-of-the-art baseball/softball park in partnership that includes Major League Baseball and the league’s players association. It’s also a result of cultivating relationships with local officials such as the Coahoma County Board of Supervisors.

Read the full article about boosting Black homeownership in rural Mississippi by Aallyah Wright at Capital B News.