Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta to Host Disaster Recovery Community Forum

PANAMA CITY, Fla., Aug. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) today are hosting a community forum designed to help communities recognize and leverage available resources for aiding in recovery after a natural disaster. The forum will take place at A.D. Harris Learning Village from 5:00-7:30 p.m. CT, and will cover topics such as disaster recovery from the regulatory perspective, current market insights, and leveraging disaster recovery grants, philanthropy, and community support.

The forum will highlight FHLBank Atlanta’s Community Rebuild and Restore product, which provides up to $10,000 to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes in “Major Disaster” areas, as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Community Rebuild and Restore product is part of FHLBank Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Program and plays an important role in helping communities recover in the aftermath of catastrophic events.

FHLBank Atlanta’s Senior Vice President and Director of Community Investment Services, Arthur L. Fleming, is leading the event. “The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta is excited to partner with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in convening and informing the Panama City community about our disaster-recovery product, Community Rebuild and Restore,” said Fleming. “We believe in activating the capacity of our member banks to assist their customers in the disaster recovery process.”

Properties eligible for the Community Rebuild and Restore product include owner-occupied 1-4 family properties, townhouses, condos, cooperatives, and manufactured and mobile housing. Funds can be used to correct defects or deficiencies resulting from the identified disaster that impact the habitability of the property and are not associated with repairs covered under an insurance claim.

Dr. Charles Steele, President of SCLC, echoed Fleming sentiments. “I am very excited about this partnership between the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta,” said Steele. “In life, you never know when a storm is coming, and this event is part of a larger, continuous effort by the SCLC to stand up, help those in need, and give the communities of Panama City assistance and support.”

The SCLC’s Disaster Relief Initiative for Hurricane Michael provides a relief truck that brings supplies, clothes, ready-to-eat foods, and other items directly to victims in the Florida panhandle. The SCLC has also extended its Poor People’s Campaign into the area to assist with both immediate and long-term relief efforts.

About FHLBank Atlanta
FHLBank Atlanta offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to help member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank’s members—its shareholders and customers—are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990, the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $6.2 billion in Affordable Housing Program funds, assisting more than 911,000 households.

For more information, visit our website at www.fhlbatl.com.

About Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is a nonprofit, non-sectarian, inter-faith, advocacy organization that is committed to nonviolent action to achieve social, economic, and political justice. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference consists of localized chapters and affiliates that are located throughout the country. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference chapters and affiliates support the organization by working in their respective communities to implement national programs (such as voter registration, improvement of education and direct action against any form of injustice or inequitable treatment) and stand as an advocate for those on the margins of society.

For more information, visit https://nationalsclc.org/.

Media Contacts:
DeMark Liggins, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
404.522.1420, [email protected]

Peter E. Garuccio, FHLBank Atlanta
404.888.8143, [email protected]