STEPS COALITION Information

The Steps Coalition (STEPS) is a grass roots, locally governed coalition of 20+ non-profit, community, and civic organizations and leaders whose mission is to build a democratic movement to create a healthy, just, and equitable Mississippi Gulf Coast. Steps advances its mission by developing local leadership, supporting communities to advocate for their needs and by facilitating communication, coordination, and collaboration among our membership. Since its inception, the Steps Coalition’s primary focus has been to advocate for under served communities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the BP Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill (2010). Our goal is to help build a Mississippi worth calling "HOME," and all of our work falls under our five focus areas: Affordable Housing, Economic Justice, Preservation of Historical Communities, Environmental Justice, and Human Rights. In January of 2018, our organization commenced the process of developing the Steps Coalition Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The CDFI will provide technical assistance and micro-financing to homeowners and small businesses in Mississippi’s six coastal counties. Our programs will be structured to help existing and first-time home buyers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) traverse the hurdles traditionally encountered by residents of LMI communities and small businesses looking to start-up or scale-up. Our technical assistance will come in the form of, but not be limited to, financial literacy training, housing workshops, business plan development, and cash-flow management.