This spring, MHP returned to Marianna, Florida to support Chipola Habitat for Humanity as it moves from vision to implementation on a new 9-acre housing development.

Through this Rural Capacity Building engagement, MHP worked alongside local leaders, including the city manager, county administrator, potential development partners, and a local engineering firm, to help build the partnerships and coordination needed to move the project forward. MHP also facilitated a board training and led a discussion about the development process, helping the organization prepare for the next phase of work.

Earlier in the project, MHP supported a master planning process led by a Black-owned architecture firm in Tallahassee. The resulting plan envisions 59 new homes with a mix of price points, incomes, ownership opportunities, and rental homes.

Just as importantly, local leaders see the development as an opportunity to strengthen connections across the community, creating a bridge between neighboring Black and white neighborhoods in Marianna.

By the end of the visit, Chipola Habitat for Humanity had more than a plan on paper. The organization left with stronger local partnerships, a clearer path through the development process, and the tools needed to move this vision toward reality.

As one local leader reflected, “The engine runs based on partnership.” Another shared:

“It’s always a privilege to work with a partner like MHP. Because of your work across the country, there are people and resources we know now that we never would have connected with otherwise.”