Mississippi Center for Legal Services Receives $150K Grant from FHLB Dallas and Community Bank of Mississippi to Support Housing Stability and Legal Aid

Funding Will Help Families Clear Property Titles and Preserve Generational Homes

HATTIESBURG, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mississippi families will have a better chance to keep their homes and land thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Community Bank of Mississippi to the Mississippi Center for Legal Services (MCLS). The funding will provide critical legal assistance to low-income residents struggling with heirs’ property issues, which occur when property lacks a clear title.

”This grant will allow us to expand our outreach,” said Sam Buchanan, executive director, at MCLS, which provides legal services across 43 counties in southern Mississippi. “We are grateful for this partnership with Community Bank and FHLB Dallas and the opportunity to make a lasting impact in communities that often face barriers to legal representation to resolve heirs’ property issues.”

Without legal help, families can lose homes that have been passed down for generations, making it harder to build wealth or secure housing stability.

In 2025, FHLB Dallas awarded $4.3 million in Pathway Fund grants through its members, to organizations in its five-state District, including $600,000 in Mississippi. The application window for 2026 is from August 3 to August 21, 2026, with $3 million available.

“We believe these efforts will help build stronger, more resilient communities throughout Mississippi,” said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas.

Interested organizations should apply through an FHLB Dallas member. FHLB Dallas doesn’t award grants directly to consumers or organizations.

“We are grateful for our relationship with FHLB Dallas that has made this grant possible,” said Rieko Wells, vice president and CRA officer at Community Bank of Mississippi.”

Learn more about the Pathway Fund.

About Community Bank of Mississippi

Community Bank, who today has $5 billion in assets with 56 offices and over 850 staff members across Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, has deep traditions when it comes to culture and how they do business. A consistent priority of doing things the right way – scripture on their Marquee’s, a live person answering the phone each time you call and a personal relationship with your banker, have been defining factors in Community Bank’s success for 120 years. Their philosophy of putting the highest of value on taking care of customers, no matter the relationship size, and making their communities better places to live and work has ensured Community Bank is built to last.

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.