Renaissance Awarded $950,000 to Support Economic Growth in Low-Income Communities in Mississippi

Gulfport, MS - Renaissance Community Loan Fund officials announced the local nonprofit has been awarded $950,000 from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The grant is part of the 2018 CDFI Program, which was established to serve low-income communities across the country through financial and technical assistance.

​Renaissance, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, provides personalized
lending products, and specializes in assisting low-income and credit-challenged borrowers
achieve homeownership and become business owners. As a CDFI, Renaissance supports its
clients with extensive financial counseling throughout the life of the loan, resulting in a greater client success rate.

Renaissance will use the funds to expand its products and services in the state. Renaissance
began offering affordable lending programs in 2007 in South Mississippi, and in 2017, opened
an office in Tupelo to better serve the residents in North Mississippi. This award now allows
Renaissance to continue its growth with a focus on Central Mississippi. Additionally, the award
provides the resources to expand on its specialized loan products to meet the needs of its
existing and new borrowers throughout Mississippi.

“Renaissance is honored to receive this award of funds and is grateful to the US Treasury and
the CDFI Fund for allowing us to continue our mission and promote economic opportunity
throughout the state,” said Kimberly LaRosa, president and CEO of Renaissance Community
Loan Fund. “It was a record amount of funding announced for CDFI’s in Mississippi, due in large part to the outstanding advocacy by our Mississippi delegation to demonstrate the importance of CDFI Fund programs in the state.”

For information on Renaissance Community Loan Fund and its lending programs that are
available throughout Mississippi, visit http://www.rclfms.com.

​Contact Information
Denise Carver, Director or Administration & Marketing
Renaissance Community Loan Fund
(228) 896-3386, ext. 107
dcarver@rclfms.com
www.rclfms.com