Gulf Coast Gets More Housing Help From Washington

One more round of federal help is on its way to the Gulf Coast to help address the on-going housing recovery effort. MPB's Phoebe Judge has more.

Mississippi’s share in 80 million dollars in newly appropriated money will provide the opportunity for some of the remaining 1000 households living in FEMA temporary housing units in the state the opportunity to purchase the unit for as little as $1 dollar. The deadline for all living in FEMA temporary housing had been on May 1st, but evictions will cease until further notice. The appropriated money will also provide 5000 housing vouchers to low-income residents in Mississippi. Senator Thad Cochran, who supported the measure, says this is an important step,

“It’s not going to solve everybody’s problem, but it is certainly going to do a lot to help people who are in inadequate housing, or who are about to lose their ability to occupy tenant houses that they cannot afford.”

The Coast is in the middle of an affordable housing crisis, due in large part to the loss of housing during Katrina and the skyrocketing insurance rates that have come after the storm. Lee Youngblood with the Mississippi Development Authority, says the vouchers are one way to begin addressing the affordability issue,

“We have housing stock, we just have to try and make that housing stock more affordable to those who want to live on the Coast.”

While some housing advocates on the Coast are applauding the additional housing vouchers, others are raising questions as to why more of the 5.4 billion dollars in federal hurricane recovery money has not been used to address the affordable housing issue.