Hancock Whitney Provides Mobile Residents Housing and Rental Relief Aid
As COVID-19 swept the nation and unemployment began to reach staggering heights, the housing crisis quickly escalated, leaving Americans seeking aid. Residents in Mobile have been faced with the threat of illegal evictions, but in the coming weeks, many could receive a lifeline.
Hancock Whitney—one of America’s strongest, safest banks—will provide $90,000 in relief assistance to those in low- and moderate-income households who have experienced job loss, furlough, or a reduction in hours of work or pay due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Three local organizations will be the beneficiaries of the investment.
Lifelines Counseling Services
Lifelines Counseling Services’ mission is to help individuals and families live more productive lives through counseling, assistance, referrals, and education. The bank’s $40,000 contribution to the organization will assist an estimated 80 community members (with 80 percent AMI or less) with rent/mortgage assistance.
“We are excited to partner with Hancock Whitney on this much needed opportunity,” said Lifelines Executive Director Chandra Brown. “With a 12+ percent unemployment rate, continued COVID cases, and community unrest, this funding can give some peace to community members struggling to make ends meet.
Legal Services of Alabama
Legal Services of Alabama’s mission strives to provide free civil legal representation to low- and moderate-income individuals in each of Alabama’s 67 counties through eight offices strategically located throughout Alabama and through a statewide call center. A $30,000 contribution from Hancock Whitney will assist the organization in representing clients with housing and foreclosure issues throughout the Mobile region.
“The Mobile office is thrilled to partner with Hancock Whitney to provide legal representation for clients who have been impacted by COVID-19,” said Mobile Office Managing Attorney Ann Brown. “This grant will allow the Mobile office to assist clients in Mobile and Baldwin counties by providing an attorney who can represent clients in eviction actions. This service is critical in helping clients who might otherwise not be able to easily navigate the legal system. Our end goal is to help clients avoid becoming homeless.”
United Way of Southwest Alabama
United Way of Southwest Alabama’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities throughout Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile, and Washington Counties. Hancock Whitney’s $20,000 contribution will provide rent assistance for an estimated 40 low- to moderate-income households impacted by COVID-19.
“United Way of Southwest Alabama is grateful for our partnership with Hancock Whitney,” said Vice President of Resource Development Justine Herlihy Bixler. “They are more than a bank; they are a community partner focused on giving back and improving the quality of life where we all live and work. Their contribution will afford us the ability to provide rent assistance to low- to moderate-income individuals and families who have been impacted by COVID-19. With their support, we will continue to reach great new heights. Because United We Fight. United We Win.”
In April Hancock Whitney announced a $2.5 million investment to help people in some of the Gulf South’s most vulnerable neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a total of $720,000 allocated to housing organizations to fund housing assistance and legal services that provide critical eviction representation across Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The investment also has helped to stock local food pantries, provide cloth face masks to protect residents and first responders, and fund community health centers.
Hancock Whitney Market President Guy Helmsing said the bank’s commitment to housing relief and legal services comes at a critical time as many local communities across Hancock Whitney’s banking footprint have begun, or will soon begin, to lift rental and eviction moratoriums.
“Over the past few months, we have been faced with unprecedented impacts to our local, state, and national economies,” said Helmsing. “At Hancock Whitney, our institution is anchored in values, reinforced with resilience, and focused on opportunity. It is important to us that we partner with local organizations to help preserve the incomes of our neighbors so they have every opportunity to recover.”
Individuals seeking assistance may visit http://www.lifelinesmobile.org/, https://legalservicesalabama.org/, and call 2-1-1 (888.421.1266) for more information.
About Hancock Whitney
Since the late 1800s, Hancock Whitney has embodied core values of Honor & Integrity, Strength & Stability, Commitment to Service, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility. Hancock Whitney offices and financial centers in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas offer comprehensive financial products and services, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and investment services; healthcare banking; certain insurance services; and mortgage services. The company also operates a loan production office in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as trust and asset management offices in New Jersey and New York. BauerFinancial, Inc., the nation’s leading independent bank rating and analysis firm, consistently recommends Hancock Whitney as one of America’s most financially sound banks. More information is available at www.hancockwhitney.com.
For More Information
Mary Kathryn Avery, Regional Marketing Manager
251.610.4134 or marykathryn.avery@hancockwhitney.com