In the 1996 Farm Bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) committed to supporting special initiatives based on partnership and collaboration to address the persistent poverty found in the Mississippi Delta. To facilitate a comprehensive development strategy for the Delta, USDA entered into a cooperative agreement with the Housing Assistance Council (HAC).

The "Building Communities in the Lower Mississippi Delta" initiative began with a clear mandate against duplicating existing efforts or conducting another study on the Delta. Instead, the initiative was directed at building upon existing plans and community development efforts to establish a framework for identifying and promoting successful Delta projects, strengthening the capacity of nonprofit organizations to undertake community-based development work in the region, and leveraging necessary capital to facilitate a potential long-term regional collaborative effort in the Delta.

HAC facilitated the development of this initiative through a consultative process, involving representatives of local, regional, state and national entities, including the government, community-based development groups, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector. Through participation in this initiative, a collaborative of Delta stakeholders has successfully synthesized recommendations for continued development in the region. These recommendations represent a consensus of priorities established by all participants in this initiative and focus on bringing together the combined efforts of a network of partners committed to improving conditions in the Delta.