Portions of Fayette and Haywood Counties were formally designated as an Enterprise Community in 1995 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With a majority of the work associated with the ten-year designation already complete, the Fayette-Haywood Enterprise Community continued moving forward in 2003. In 2003, the Enterprise Community reaffirmed its commitment to improving economic development, education, health care, housing, infrastructure, and quality communities by supporting and funding a variety of programs and projects.

Throughout the designation, the Fayette - Haywood Enterprise Community has traveled a path inherent in this type of community empowerment. While the pace of action has varied, the direction of the community and its commitment has remained constant. The community’s original strategic plan had an emphasis on projects and programs that invested in the individual persona of the community. Although the Strategic Plan has been amended over a period of time, the emphasis of the Enterprise Community remains on people, programs, and facilities that serve the public. The flexibility of amending the Strategic Plan over the course of the initiative has allowed the original objectives to be accomplished through new means.

For example, the need to assist preschool children was expressed in the desire to assist the Head Start program. When the need was refined, it was determined that the best action would be to partner with the Fayette County Board of Education in developing a preschool classroom. As a result, a classroom was jointly developed at Jefferson School in the Enterprise Community. The program has been such a success that the Board of Education has explored how to expand its availability. Additionally, the use of EC Funds to match Tennessee House Program Funds has had a far-reaching leverage effect in the city of Brownsville. The city received state funds as a designated ABicentennial Neighborhood@ and the EC leveraged funds to obtain state housing rehabilitation funds. This neighborhood initiative has become a model of cooperation and illustrates what can happen when diverse groups come together for a common purpose.

The two previously described actions are only two of many actions the Fayette - Haywood Enterprise Community has undertaken in recent years. Actions taken within the last year include:

Community Centers: In Census Tract 603, significant progress was made on the development of a Community Center. In fact, construction on the Community Center in Census Tract 603 was completed and a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned. This community center will serve the residents of Braden, Galloway, Longtown, and the surrounding rural community.

Financial Management: Through the collaborative efforts of the Haywood County Agricultural Extension Service, the University of Tennessee, and the Fayette-Haywood Enterprise Community, a financial management program to educate limited-resource families in Haywood County was developed. The courses are designed to teach those with limited incomes how to build and use credit wisely, set financial goals, and the importance of saving for the future. Additionally, participants will be educated on the home-buying process and special federal programs that encourage homeownership.

Education: The Enterprise Community has partnered with the Fayette County Education Foundation on two programs for the purpose of improving the overall educational system in Fayette County. The first program provides the Fayette County Education Foundation with a means to promote academic excellence by providing educational opportunities over and above those funded through regular school budgets through special grants for teachers. The second program undertaken will utilize the expertise of the University of Memphis in establishing a Masters Degree Program in Early Childhood Education in Fayette County. The University of Memphis has redesigned the program so the curriculum more appropriately matches the needs of Fayette County educators.

Housing Partnerships: The Fayette – Haywood Enterprise Community partnered with Fayette Cares, Inc. to fund a supportive housing application for homeless families through the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program. Initially, construction of a multi-family unit providing homes for two families in three-bedroom apartments and a manager’s unit with an adjoining multi-purpose room will provide a space for life skills classes and other resource-building activities to be undertaken. This supportive housing will foster self-reliance by providing supportive services such as case management, counseling, child care, life skills classes, and employment counseling.

Capacity Building: Long-term community capacity–building continued this year through cooperation with the EC/CC Coalition which resulted in the Fayette-Haywood Enterprise Community’s submission of an application to obtain a VISTA worker to coordinate tourism development as than economic development activity. Through this activity, there is the expectation that this will in turn increase the level of active involvement in the community.

As previously stated, the pace of implementing the Strategic Plan has varied; however, significant progress has been achieved and continues to be achieved. Those involved in the process realize that the achievement of goals through the EC initiative takes time and this acknowledgment is evident in the ten-year planning and implementation period. The obstacles facing the Fayette-Haywood Enterprise Community are the ones any initiative would face in addressing the overall goals formed in the strategic plan. However, the individuals from the community are a potent force and the strength of the initiative in Fayette and Haywood Counties lies with the active involvement of the Steering Committee which represents each Census Tract in the Enterprise Community.

 *Disclaimer Notice

Fayette/Haywood County EC Summary Page    Fayette/Haywood County EC Funding Page 

Main Map    EZ/EC Home Page