About the development
James Ellington, a seasoned Mississippi developer with five decades of experience, is spearheading a transformative housing development in Durant using the Mississippi Affordable Housing Development Fund (MAHDF). The project is one of the first large-scale homeownership initiatives in the town in decades, addressing a deep need in the small rural town.
Ellington, who has built high-end homes in places like Madison, saw a unique opportunity to gear a development towards affordable homeownership on land he owned in the town. He is now developing a 40-home modular community across 20 acres, offering 1,500–1,600 square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes.
MAHDF is playing a vital role in getting the project started. The program, administered by the Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC), offers flexible low-interest loans for construction, rehabilitation, predevelopment, site control, and site development of both rental and owner-occupied housing. Ellington is using MAHDF financing to build out critical infrastructure—sewer, water lines, streets—that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive.
This project demonstrates the importance of programs like MAHDF in closing funding gaps and making rural housing development possible. By leveraging low-cost capital for infrastructure, MAHDF helps bring much-needed homeownership opportunities to communities like Durant—stimulating local economies, improving quality of life, and creating scalable models for rural revitalization across the state.
Contributors to success in the development
- Favorable loan terms through MAHDF: With a 3% interest rate and 80% loan-to-value terms, the MAHDF loan plays a key role in keeping the project financially feasible. MHC also increased the lending cap for his project, recognizing its potential to serve as a model for affordable homeownership in rural markets.
- Finding a site near job centers: Durant’s proximity to Canton—home to the Nissan auto plant—also strengthens the development’s viability. Many people who live in Durant commute to Canton for work, and housing demand in the region is strong. Experts estimate a need for 4,000 additional homes within a 50-mile radius of the plant. Ellington, who frequently hears from people interested in buying homes in the area, believes that if he can “get something there that people can see,” the rest will follow.
- Confronting skepticism directly with the facts: One early challenge was addressing skepticism around modular construction, which is often misunderstood as equivalent to mobile housing. But these homes are HUD-approved, built to the same standards as traditional stick-built homes, and come with concrete foundations and fire-rated materials like Hardie board siding. “There’s no difference except they’re built offsite,” Ellington explained. He leveraged his experience—and a track record of similar developments—to earn buy-in from local city officials and skeptical residents. He credits his preparation in advance of city hearings and ability to answer every question thrown his way, along with his ability to show other modular homes he had built, with helping him win 100% approval from Durant’s Board of Aldermen.
Key lessons for other developers
- Preparation is key: Ellington's advice to new developers looking to undertake similar projects is rooted in realism: “You need experience, patience, and to know what you’re doing.” He emphasizes the value of having a clear plan, doing your homework, and being prepared to educate stakeholders. Having owned the land outright also made a difference.
- Find passion in your work: For Ellington, the work is about more than profit—it’s personal. “I love the work and want to see something done. That’s what I do.” With the help of MAHDF funding, he’s doing just that—bringing new life, stability, and homeownership to a Mississippi town that’s ready for revival.