After more than a decade joining forces, Regions Bank and Beyond Housing recently strengthened their community collaboration around the next evolution of Beyond Housing’s holistic approach to increase economic mobility for families.
Regions donated $10,000 toward a new, focused initiative to deliver intensive, personalized support to a cohort of families in Beyond Housing’s affordable rental homes.
Beyond Housing’s commitment to holistic support is not new—it has long been central to its work. What is evolving is how that support is delivered. Rather than spreading services broadly across the community, the organization is now focusing more intensively on a cohort of families in its affordable rental homes—providing more coordinated, consistent, and measurable support across housing, health, education, personal finance, and employment.
“Focusing on a cohort of families allows us to deliver our work in a more coordinated and impactful way,” said President and CEO Chris Krehmeyer. “Our holistic model for delivering services is centered on providing resources directly to families—and that includes guidance and advice in the area of personal finance.”
The catalyst behind this specific collaboration was a 2023 Regions NextStep® financial education session presented by Jeremy Farris, manager of the bank’s Midtown St. Louis branch, at a Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce event. Like Beyond Housing, Regions Bank is focused on advancing the success of the cities and towns its associates call home by investing in initiatives empowering more people, elevating neighborhoods, and creating stronger communities.
The alignment of the organizations’ shared priorities led to a series of follow-up conversations bringing together Farris, Regions Bank Community Development Manager Eric Madkins, and Beyond Housing team members.
“Regions Bank proudly supports Beyond Housing’s focus on transforming under-resourced St. Louis neighborhoods. This directly complements our commitment to affordable housing and connecting more people with more opportunities for success,” Madkins said. “We believe when our communities thrive, everyone benefits.”
In addition to its financial contribution, the bank is providing families in the initial cohort with no-cost financial advice, guidance, and resources from Regions associates. Those resources include Regions’ Greenprint® plan, a personalized roadmap that helps people take practical steps toward building financial confidence and success.
“Finances are not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ proposition, so our associates focus on thoughtfully listening and asking questions to help people identify and reach their unique financial goals,” Madkins explained. “The Regions Greenprint plan is something we offer to anyone who’s interested, regardless of whether they bank with Regions; we believe financial education leads to financial empowerment, and this is a reflection of our commitment to sharing insights and strategies to help people thrive.”
Madkins added, “For some families, goals include transitioning from renting a Beyond Housing property to purchasing a home of their own. In those cases, our conversations extend beyond acquiring a home to discussions about budgeting and money management long after the new owners receive their keys.”
The five-year initiative will eventually expand to serve the 850 families in Beyond Housing’s entire portfolio of rental properties.
“This is an exciting time for the 24:1 Community,” Krehmeyer said. “By focusing on our five critical areas of housing, education, economic development, job creation and health at the household level, we can implement community development that resolves the underlying issues impacting our most vulnerable residents.”
That focus is yielding a lasting impact for Beyond Housing clients.
“Empowering people and families across the Greater St. Louis region to chart their path from renting to becoming homeowners is a priority for us at Regions Bank,” Madkins said. “Through our community collaborations with Beyond Housing and fellow nonprofits, we can help our neighbors build generational wealth. Together, we can make our entire community stronger.”
