Strengthening Communities Across Eastern Arkansas
We develop housing in the Delta and connect residents to skilled-trade jobs — because a family can't put down roots in a place they can't afford to live, or reach the job that keeps them there.
A dedicated home for housing, workforce, and economic development
Engage East Arkansas (EEA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving St. Francis, Lee, Phillips, Monroe, and surrounding Delta counties. The need in our service area is documented, not asserted: in St. Francis County, our home county, the poverty rate is 30.6 percent and median household income is roughly a third below the Arkansas figure. The county lost 5.6 percent of its population between 2020 and 2025, led by working-age adults who rarely return.
We work inside an established regional network — a founding board with hands-on experience in construction, trades, community and economic development, and policy — alongside strategic partners including East Arkansas Enterprise Community, Phoenix Youth and Family Services, South Arkansas Health Council, and the Arkansas Human Development Corporation.
- Poverty rate in St. Francis County
- 30.6%
- Median household income — about a third below the state figure
- $42,574
- Population change in St. Francis County, 2020–2025
- -5.6%
Where we focus
Housing & Community Development
Expand the supply of safe, affordable housing and rebuild the community assets that make housing investment viable.
Workforce Development
Move residents, particularly young adults, into paid work through training tied to demonstrated regional employer demand.
Economic & Infrastructure Development
Fund the drainage, sites, and public infrastructure that has to be in place before private investment and job growth follow.
Portfolio in action
A snapshot of what's underway across the Delta right now. Our full 2026 one-pager has the complete project and funding detail.
- Youth engaged in paid work through our Urban & Community Forestry program
- 240
- Wages returned to local communities through that program
- $625K+
- In identified housing project cost across the Delta pipeline
- $26M+
Urban & Community Forestry — Pathways to the Future
Introducing youth ages 16–18 across Lee, Monroe, Phillips, and St. Francis Counties to careers in urban and community forestry, in partnership with the Arkansas Human Development Corporation.
Workforce Housing at West Memphis
A $25,000,000, 150-unit apartment community approved by the City of West Memphis in February 2026, with 20 percent of units reserved for households earning up to 80 percent of area median income.
Forrest City Housing Pipeline
Multiple infill and rehabilitation sites in various stages of predevelopment — from demolition-complete lots to land held and awaiting site work.
Get updates as this work grows
Project news, funding milestones, and ways to get involved — straight to your inbox. We're building this site out further in the coming weeks; sign up to hear about it first.