Auburn University Celebrates 30 Years of Rural Community Partnership
Auburn University's Rural Studio celebrates its 30th anniversary, with support from Regions Bank. The program, part of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, focuses on community service learning and affordable housing. Regions Bank has provided matching funds for a new affordable housing initiative in Selma, Alabama, aimed at aiding tornado recovery efforts.
Founded in 1993, Rural Studio has built over 220 projects in Alabama's Black Belt and educated more than 1,200 students. The program's Front Porch Initiative collaborates with national and local partners to address infrastructure and financial challenges in affordable housing. Recent projects include housing recovery efforts in Nashville, Tennessee, and Marianna, Florida.
The Selma initiative will utilize a $500,000 USDA grant and matching contributions to build sustainable homes, enhance community resilience, and provide opportunities for local economic growth.
Regions Bank has been instrumental in expanding Rural Studio's reach, including contributing to a newly opened Auburn facility in Birmingham.
Il Rural Studio dell'Università di Auburn celebra il suo trentesimo anniversario, con il supporto di Regions Bank. Il programma, parte della Scuola di Architettura, Pianificazione e Architettura del Paesaggio, si concentra sull'apprendimento attraverso il servizio alla comunità e sull'edilizia abitativa accessibile. Regions Bank ha fornito fondi corrispondenti per una nuova iniziativa di edilizia abitativa accessibile a Selma, in Alabama, con l'obiettivo di sostenere gli sforzi di recupero dopo i tornado.
Fondato nel 1993, Rural Studio ha realizzato oltre 220 progetti nella Black Belt dell'Alabama e ha educato più di 1.200 studenti. L'Iniziativa Front Porch del programma collabora con partner nazionali e locali per affrontare le sfide infrastrutturali e finanziarie nell'edilizia abitativa accessibile. I progetti recenti includono iniziative di recupero abitativo a Nashville, Tennessee, e Marianna, Florida.
L'iniziativa di Selma utilizzerà una sovvenzione USDA di 500.000 dollari e contributi corrispondenti per costruire case sostenibili, migliorare la resilienza delle comunità e fornire opportunità di crescita economica locale.
Regions Bank è stata fondamentale nell'espansione della portata del Rural Studio, contribuendo anche all'apertura di una nuova struttura ad Auburn a Birmingham.
El Rural Studio de la Universidad de Auburn celebra su 30.º aniversario, con el apoyo de Regions Bank. El programa, parte de la Escuela de Arquitectura, Planificación y Arquitectura del Paisaje, se centra en el aprendizaje a través del servicio comunitario y la vivienda asequible. Regions Bank ha proporcionado fondos de contrapartida para una nueva iniciativa de vivienda asequible en Selma, Alabama, destinada a ayudar en los esfuerzos de recuperación tras los tornados.
Fundado en 1993, Rural Studio ha construido más de 220 proyectos en la Black Belt de Alabama y ha educado a más de 1.200 estudiantes. La Iniciativa Front Porch del programa colabora con socios nacionales y locales para abordar los desafíos de infraestructura y financieros en la vivienda asequible. Los proyectos recientes incluyen esfuerzos de recuperación de vivienda en Nashville, Tennessee, y Marianna, Florida.
La iniciativa de Selma utilizará una subvención de 500.000 dólares del USDA y contribuciones complementarias para construir viviendas sostenibles, mejorar la resiliencia comunitaria y proporcionar oportunidades para el crecimiento económico local.
Regions Bank ha sido fundamental para ampliar el alcance del Rural Studio, incluyendo su contribución a una nueva instalación en Auburn, Birmingham.
오번 대학교의 농촌 스튜디오가 리전스 은행의 지원으로 30주년을 기념합니다. 이 프로그램은 건축, 계획 및 경관 건축 학교의 일환으로, 지역 사회 봉사 학습과 저렴한 주택에 중점을 두고 있습니다. 리전스 은행은 토네이도 복구 노력을 지원하기 위해 앨라바마 주 셀마에서 저렴한 주택을 위한 새로운 이니셔티브에 맞춰 자금을 지원했습니다.
1993년에 설립된 농촌 스튜디오는 앨라바마 블랙벨 지역에서 220개 이상의 프로젝트를 수행했으며, 1,200명 이상의 학생을 교육했습니다. 이 프로그램의 프론트 포치 이니셔티브는 저렴한 주택의 인프라 및 재정적 문제를 해결하기 위해 국가 및 지역 파트너와 협력합니다. 최근 프로젝트로는 테네시 주 내슈빌과 플로리다 주 마리안나에서의 주택 복구 노력이 포함됩니다.
셀마 이니셔티브는 500,000달러의 USDA 보조금과 보조 기여금을 활용하여 지속 가능한 주택을 건설하고, 커뮤니티 복원력을 향상시키며, 지역 경제 성장의 기회를 제공할 예정입니다.
리전스 은행은 농촌 스튜디오의 범위를 확장하는 데 중요한 역할을 했으며, 버밍햄에 새롭게 개설된 오번 시설에도 기여했습니다.
Le Rural Studio de l'Université d'Auburn célèbre son 30e anniversaire avec le soutien de Regions Bank. Le programme, qui fait partie de l'École d'Architecture, de Planification et d'Architecture Paysagère, se concentre sur l'apprentissage par le service communautaire et le logement abordable. Regions Bank a fourni des fonds d'égalité pour une nouvelle initiative de logement abordable à Selma, en Alabama, visant à aider les efforts de récupération après les tornades.
Fondé en 1993, Rural Studio a réalisé plus de 220 projets dans la Black Belt de l'Alabama et a formé plus de 1 200 étudiants. L'Initiative Front Porch du programme collabore avec des partenaires nationaux et locaux pour relever les défis d'infrastructure et de financement dans le logement abordable. Les projets récents comprennent des efforts de récupération de logements à Nashville, Tennessee, et Marianna, Floride.
L'initiative de Selma utilisera une subvention de 500 000 $ de l'USDA et des contributions égales pour construire des maisons durables, améliorer la résilience des communautés et offrir des opportunités de croissance économique locale.
Regions Bank a joué un rôle essentiel dans l'expansion de la portée du Rural Studio, y compris en contribuant à une nouvelle installation à Auburn à Birmingham.
Das Rural Studio der Auburn University feiert sein 30-jähriges Bestehen mit Unterstützung von Regions Bank. Das Programm, das Teil der Schule für Architektur, Planung und Landschaftsarchitektur ist, konzentriert sich auf Gemeinschaftsdienstlernen und bezahlbaren Wohnraum. Regions Bank hat Mittel bereitgestellt, um eine neue Initiative für bezahlbaren Wohnraum in Selma, Alabama, zu unterstützen, die auf eine Wiederherstellung nach Tornados abzielt.
Gegründet 1993, hat Rural Studio über 220 Projekte im Black Belt von Alabama realisiert und mehr als 1.200 Studenten ausgebildet. Die Front Porch Initiative des Programms arbeitet mit nationalen und lokalen Partnern zusammen, um Infrastruktur- und finanzielle Herausforderungen im Bereich des bezahlbaren Wohnens anzugehen. Zu den jüngsten Projekten gehören Wiederherstellungsmaßnahmen im Bereich Wohnraum in Nashville, Tennessee, und Marianna, Florida.
Die Initiative in Selma wird einen USDA-Zuschuss von 500.000 Dollar nutzen sowie entsprechende Beiträge, um nachhaltige Häuser zu bauen, die Widerstandsfähigkeit der Gemeinschaft zu stärken und Möglichkeiten für das lokale Wirtschaftswachstum zu schaffen.
Regions Bank war entscheidend für die Erweiterung der Reichweite des Rural Studio, einschließlich des Beitrags zu einer neu eröffneten Einrichtung in Auburn, Birmingham.
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With support from Regions Bank, Auburn University Rural Studio helps people in under-resourced communities thrive today while building generational wealth for tomorrow.
By Candace Higginbotham
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 18, 2024 / Auburn University Rural Studio has had much to celebrate so far in 2024.
It commemorated its 30th anniversary earlier this year and announced it had received grant funding to create affordable housing to aid tornado recovery efforts in Selma, Alabama. Regions provided matching funds for the Selma affordable housing initiative and has been working alongside Rural Studio for much of its three-decade history.
Rural Studio: Citizen Architects
In 1993, Auburn University architecture faculty members Samuel Mockbee and D.K. Ruth cofounded Rural Studio, a design-build architectural education program headquartered two and half hours from campus in Hale County, Alabama. The program, part of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, was built around the concept of community service learning and aligns with the university's mission as a land-grant institution.
The program encourages students to use their skills to better their communities - to become citizen architects. Rural Studio and its projects have been featured in thousands of publications, honored with prestigious awards, and have been shown in museum exhibits across the world.
But more importantly to faculty leaders and students - and communities throughout the South -Rural Studio has built more than 220 projects in Alabama's Black Belt and educated more than 1,200 students about sustainable, healthful rural living through both housing and the vital systems that ensure communities thrive.
Regions is proud of our long history with Auburn University's Rural Studio, and we continue to support their innovative work to solve the unique challenges of providing attainable, sustainable homes for people in rural areas.
Leroy Abrahams, Head of Community Engagement for Regions
And thanks to relationships with community organizations, public and private companies and local, state and federal government agencies, Rural Studio programs have expanded beyond the state to assist individuals and families who may not have otherwise had the opportunity for homeownership.
According to Regions Head of Community Engagement Leroy Abrahams, Regions Bank is pleased to be part of that journey.
"Affordable housing is key focus of our community engagement strategy," Abrahams said. "Regions' 15-state retail footprint includes many areas that are several miles from the nearest city, and serving rural communities is an important part of our business.
"Regions is proud of our long history with Auburn University's Rural Studio, and we continue to support their innovative work to solve the unique challenges of providing attainable, sustainable homes for people in rural areas."
Front Porch Initiative
Regions' relationship with Rural Studio began with the 20K Project, a housing affordability research project that began in 2004 when students were tasked with designing a home that costs no more than
But it soon became clear to program participants and leaders that building a financially attainable home in under-resourced areas is more complicated than just the cost of building materials and labor. Factors such as insurance, utilities, water and sewage - as well as local economic issues, such as job availability - have a big impact on a family's ability to pay a monthly mortgage.
Rural Studio's housing affordability work evolved into a larger research project, called the Front Porch Initiative, involving national partnerships and municipal stakeholders to collaborate on issues around infrastructure and services. Regions was one of those collaborators, providing consultation and know-how to help find financial solutions for potential homeowners. Bank teams, led by now-retired former Community Reinvestment Act Officer and Head of Community Affairs Jon Davies and others, stepped in to make introductions and facilitate conversations between Rural Studio and Fannie Mae, the U.S. government sponsored enterprise that works to expand access to affordable housing.
"It was clear to us early on that Regions and Auburn's Rural Studio had similar objectives when it comes to ensuring that everyone has access to high quality, affordable housing," said Paul Carruthers, a Regions Community Development manager who introduced the program to the bank. "We were pleased to provide financial support and technical assistance in those early days to help expand their reach."
The 20K Project was a critical point in the evolution of Rural Studio's work. Many of those home plans are still being used today.
"The initial capacity-building grant from Regions contributed to our early growth," said Rusty Smith, Associate Director of Rural Studio. "And the technical expertise and thought partnership the bank provided helped build our relationships with Fannie Mae and other organizations - that was a real game-changer. That's when we started recognizing the program's potential."
Growing Community Partnerships
Regions was also instrumental in helping Rural Studio expand its scope and make an impact on communities outside Hale County.
In 2021, Regions and Rural Studio Front Porch Initiative worked with Affordable Housing Resources (AHR) in Nashville to bring four Rural Studio-designed homes to Nashville's Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood.
What made this project noteworthy is that, thanks to Nashville's zoning laws, two homes could be constructed on one lot. This innovative use of land and construction made homeownership possible in a housing market where property costs have skyrocketed, pricing out many potential residents.
In 2022, Front Porch Initiative began working with Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity on a build in Marianna, Florida, to aid in recovery efforts from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane that hit the Florida panhandle a few years before. The team provided designs that meet efficiency standards and are built to sustain hurricane-force winds.
To reduce the financial burden for Habitat for Humanity and to free up capital to make additional community investments, Regions bankers worked with Fannie Mae to pilot a lending arrangement in which the bank would originate the mortgage loan and then sell the loan to Fannie Mae. The program also included a unique feature that allowed the sweat equity built into the houses to be valued as a contribution to the downpayment.
"We were so happy to be a part of the Chipola project," said Lara Smith, manager of Regions Mortgage Investor Management. "Building those four homes was important to the families and the impacted community. But it's especially meaningful that we created unique financial solutions - sustainable support - that will continue to help more families in the future."
Tornado Recovery in Selma
The Selma affordable housing initiative, announced in April, is the most recent collaboration between Regions and the Auburn Rural Studio. For this project, Rural Studio Front Porch Initiative is partnering with the City of Selma and other state and municipal agencies, using funds from a
The program will develop sustainable, affordable and high-performance housing, utilizing vacant and blighted infill lots while also providing training and technical assistance.
Auburn University Assistant Research Professor Mackenzie Stagg, Rural Studio's project leader in Selma, explained the importance of those three components, saying "Homeownership is a major focus - we want to provide an opportunity for residents to achieve this important milestone." And it's critical that the houses can withstand harsh weather conditions, particularly following the terrible tornado that hit the area recently.
We want to enhance both homeowner and community resilience. By building back better on vacant parcels in the disaster-affected neighborhood, we aim to provide needed housing while strengthening the neighborhood and providing opportunities that positively impact the local economy.
Mackenzie Stagg, Assistant Research Professor at Auburn University
"We want to enhance both homeowner and community resilience. By building back better on vacant parcels in the disaster-affected neighborhood, we aim to provide needed housing while strengthening the neighborhood and providing opportunities that positively impact the local economy."
Abrahams said that Regions is excited about the new collaboration, especially in Selma, which is an important market for the bank.
"It's a historic city, vital to the culture of our state and our country," he said. "By giving local families the opportunity to acquire safe, affordable homes in thriving areas, we're not just solving a problem today - we're helping them begin to build generational wealth that will improve the lives of future individuals and communities."
Going Forward
Regions' relationship with Auburn University goes well beyond the Rural Studio collaboration, through endowments, scholarships, financial wellness programs and internships.
One of the primary recipients of that support is the Harbert College of Business. In May, the university hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Auburn in Birmingham, which provides space for the Harbert College of Business and other programs.
The newly refurbished facility is just a few blocks away from Regions Center and will be a hub for teaching, outreach and collaborative work. Regions Head of Corporate Philanthropy and Partnerships Lajuana Bradford attended the opening event and commented on the longstanding community partnership, which will be further enabled by the Birmingham satellite location.
"The Regions Bank-Auburn University relationship is based on shared mission and values, and we have enjoyed many years of working together to make life better for communities across the South," Bradford said. "We look forward to continuing that work for many years to come."
Auburn Rural Studio, with support from Regions, has built more than 220 projects in Alabama's Black Belt.
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View the original press release on accesswire.com
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