Allow Mississippi Cottages to Be Placed in Biloxi!

Target:

100

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Three years after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in 2005, 3,627 temporary housing units are still occupied in the state of Mississippi. This means more than 3,000 Mississippi families still remain displaced. On March 1, 2009, FEMA will cease providing temporary housing assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, which means many families will have nowhere to go.

Mississippi Cottages are a safe, cost effective solution to the looming housing crisis and over 2,800 Mississippians currently reside in one. Allowing Mississippi Cottages to be placed in Biloxi will help alleviate the upcoming housing shortage that will occur when FEMA assistance ends.

On December 4, 2008, the Planning Commission will meet to decide whether or not to recommend a change of zoning ordinances to the Biloxi City Council to allow permanent placement of Mississippi Cottages.

Proposed changes would:
- Allow Mississippi cottages to be placed in areas zoned Agricultural, Residential and Residential Manufactured/Mobile Home.
- Allow Biloxians to apply for a conditional use permit to place Mississippi cottages in single family high density zones.
Proposed changes require that:
- Mississippi cottages must only be used as owner-occupied units.
- The location, design and appearance of conditionally permitted Mississippi Cottages must be approved by the Architectural and Historical Review Commission.
The City Council will vote on this measure on December 16, 2008. The planning commission meets on December 4 to recommend this meaure. It must be recommended, which is why your support is needed NOW! Sign this petition and show your support to the City of Biloxi for Mississippi Cottages to be used as permanent housing.

Three years after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in 2005, 3,627 temporary housing units are still occupied in the state of Mississippi. This means more than 3,000 Mississippi families still remain displaced. On March 1, 2009, FEMA will cease providing temporary housing assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, which means many families will have nowhere to go.

Mississippi Cottages are a safe, cost effective solution to the looming housing crisis and over 2,800 Mississippians currently reside in one. Allowing Mississippi Cottages to be placed in Biloxi will help alleviate the upcoming housing shortage that will occur when FEMA assistance ends.

On December 4, 2008, the Planning Commission will meet to decide whether or not to recommend a change of zoning ordinances to the Biloxi City Council to allow permanent placement of Mississippi Cottages.

Proposed changes would:
- Allow Mississippi cottages to be placed in areas zoned Agricultural, Residential and Residential Manufactured/Mobile Home.
- Allow Biloxians to apply for a conditional use permit to place Mississippi cottages in single family high density zones.
Proposed changes require that:
- Mississippi cottages must only be used as owner-occupied units.
- The location, design and appearance of conditionally permitted Mississippi Cottages must be approved by the Architectural and Historical Review Commission.
The City Council will vote on this measure on December 16, 2008. The planning commission meets on December 4 to recommend this meaure. It must be recommended, which is why your support is needed NOW! Sign this petition and show your support to the City of Biloxi for Mississippi Cottages to be used as permanent housing.

As a resident of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, it is important to me that those who are still in FEMA temporary housing have the opportunity to have safe, permanent and affordable housing. Mississippi cottages are a great solution to the impending housing shortage the Gulf Coast may face once FEMA assistance ends.

In order for Biloxi to remain a leader of economic development, it is important that affordable housing exist for the life blood of the city--its workers. I urge the Biloxi planning commission and city council to allow placement of Mississippi cottages in Biloxi.

I encourage you to learn more about the importance of affordable housing by visiting the STEPS coalition website, www.stepscoalition.org. To learn more about the Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center, an organization advocating for equal housing visit their website at, www.makeitfair.com.

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We signed the "Allow Mississippi Cottages to Be Placed in Biloxi!" petition!

# 61:

1:58 pm PST, Dec 15, Elijah Mitchell, Mississippi

# 60:

1:35 pm PST, Dec 14, Kelli Pribanic, Mississippi

# 59:

6:29 am PST, Dec 12, Jennifer Gardner, Florida

# 58:

2:19 pm PST, Dec 10, Dorothy Nootbaar, Mississippi

# 57:

10:55 pm PST, Dec 9, Name not displayed, Arizona
Thinking about accepting a great military job opportunity in Biloxi. Voting YES for this measure will encourage my decision.

# 56:

9:42 am PST, Dec 8, Mark Tran, Mississippi
I support these cottages because they provide the TEMPORARY relief these residents are in dire need of. If these cottages are not the long-term solution, I suggest and challenge our local, state, and federal entities to do something about it. Help these residents instead of just taking these cottages away with no clear answer to the problem of housing on the Coast.

# 55:

8:48 am PST, Dec 8, GLENDA HARRIS, Louisiana

# 54:

7:33 am PST, Dec 7, Richard Fields, Mississippi
I'm sure the people who don't want to allow cottages in biloxi HAVE nice houses.....they are making it even harder on the recovering residents of their city.

# 53:

7:24 am PST, Dec 7, Laurie Spring, Mississippi

# 52:

11:20 pm PST, Dec 4, Patti McGoey, Mississippi
Cottages should remain in each city on the the coast.Where are people going to live,with cost of rentals,the economy, Haven't we been through enough.

# 51:

8:30 pm PST, Dec 4, Dinda Evans, California
we really need sustainable cities, not sprawl that wastes energy, farmlands (making us dependant on dangerous foreign food), depletes water tables, increases transportaton costs and wastes wildlands.

# 50:

1:50 pm PST, Dec 4, Michael Huseth, Mississippi

# 49:

6:23 pm PST, Dec 3, Matthew Pitt, Mississippi

# 48:

3:02 pm PST, Dec 3, Dana McDevitt, North Carolina

# 47:

10:30 am PST, Dec 3, Kimberly Miller, Mississippi
The 1000s of people still in cottages will stand a better chance if we can make this practical solution available! Kimberly Miller

# 46:

8:42 am PST, Dec 3, Theresa Redding, Mississippi
These cottages would be an answer to need for housing on the GulfCoast. They are "cute " and fit in with the "flavor" of the coast as well as some people can afford to purchase them. It would be an answer to some of the issues we are facing for people with disabilities and low income.

# 45:

6:16 am PST, Dec 3, Jennifer Queen, Mississippi
I have many clients that will have nowhere to go once their FEMA trailers are pulled and this would be a great option for them.

# 44:

9:03 pm PST, Dec 2, Pam Boland, Georgia

# 43:

8:50 pm PST, Dec 2, Cynthia Mc eldowney, Mississippi
Cottages are beautiful,reminds us of the fishing camps we had in East-end Biloxi on the Point with shotgun houses. Cottages should be aloud wherever houses use to be whether being lived in by homeowners or rented. They are not trailers but homes that can be placed on a foundation. Zoning should not have to be changed. These cottages enhances our heritage. Many people have not received their MDA Grant money.

# 42:

7:11 pm PST, Dec 2, Cynthia Singletary, Mississippi

# 41:

2:57 pm PST, Dec 2, Doug Fowler, Mississippi

# 40:

2:19 pm PST, Dec 2, Mark Creech, Mississippi

# 39:

1:52 pm PST, Dec 2, Chanda Roby, Mississippi

# 38:

1:17 pm PST, Dec 2, Name not displayed, Mississippi

# 37:

1:00 pm PST, Dec 2, Ya-Sin Shabazz, Mississippi

# 36:

12:49 pm PST, Dec 2, Aurelia Jones, Mississippi

# 35:

12:23 pm PST, Dec 2, Andrew Canter, Mississippi

# 34:

12:04 pm PST, Dec 2, Leah Lyman, Mississippi

# 33:

11:49 am PST, Dec 2, Name not displayed, Mississippi

# 32:

11:14 am PST, Dec 2, Jessie Zenor, Mississippi

# 31:

10:35 am PST, Dec 2, Dorri Neville, New Jersey

# 30:

10:23 am PST, Dec 2, Mary Jackson, Mississippi
I am a case manager and have several clients who despartely need permanent housing on their properties. Many are unable or unwilling to move to an apartment and have to pay rent. Options are few and money is litle. The cottages will provide hope for those who feel there is none. Some of these people are elderly, disabled, and alone in this process we call recovery. Maybe the cottages will help heal some wounds that are still very visible today. All in all, though, our work is not done here on the Gulf Coast.

# 29:

9:45 am PST, Dec 2, Tabitha Mills, Mississippi
The cottages are so cute! Regulate them and they're great!

# 28:

9:07 am PST, Dec 2, Trinh Le, Mississippi

# 27:

7:51 am PST, Dec 2, Sarah Livingston, Massachusetts
Housing is a human right! Mississippi cottages are not only safe and affordable, but they're a logical solution to the current housing crisis. Please put people first!

# 26:

7:27 am PST, Dec 2, Sharon Garrison, Mississippi
I support this initiative! Cottages are safe and affordable, and a great way to help families rebuild their lives and communities!

# 25:

7:25 am PST, Dec 2, Name not displayed, New York

# 24:

7:14 am PST, Dec 2, Name not displayed, Mississippi
These cottages were touted as being the first step to permanent housing for families recovering from Katrina. They provide basic housing with the ability to add on and expand. Where does the City expect these people to live? If you own land in Biloxi where your home once stood prior to Katrina then why would the city make you move your cottage to a trailer park? Homeowner's are being punished ~ this is not the way to re-build the city.

# 23:

6:23 am PST, Dec 2, Scott Williams, Mississippi

# 22:

5:18 am PST, Dec 2, Kathleen Johnson, Mississippi
At this time we have thousands still without a home since Katrina - and the deadline is looming for those in FEMA, MEMA, trailers and DHAP housing subsidized by FEMA. Some deadlines starting in January of 2009 and the majority ending on March 1st. The problem is enormous and covers several counties as there is a critical shortage of affordable housing. The MEMA cottages are a part of the issue that could solve housing for hundreds if allowed to stay either temporarily while we resolve the affordable housing issue - or for those already in place it could be a permanent solution and also at the same time take the pressure of the critical shortage of affordable housing so that others may take advantage of what limited numbers of those housing options that remain. What is happening here is socio economic cleansing as ordinances are passed to prevent the placement of these cottages. Formerly these areas were mixed use with mansions next to cottage next to a fishing camp. And all was well then prior to Katrina. So why not now? I am begging you to look at the broad scope of the problem, the impact of forcing these MEMA residents out into a non existant affordable housing market. In Hancock, for example, there are only 60 units deemed affordable - and they are "taken". We are looking at a massive looming homeless population - and the problem has already started as many are already living in their cars, tents, sheds, and gutted out homes. Come on a tour with me - I will show you what many are not seeing thru their rose colored glasses. Please, these are your neighbors and your friends. They are someones parents, sisters, brothers, grandfathers and grandmothers.

# 20:

3:35 am PST, Dec 2, Mieke Bernaards, Belgium

# 19:

12:36 am PST, Dec 2, Sigrid De Ruyck, Belgium

# 18:

12:25 am PST, Dec 2, Mark Hambrick, Mississippi

# 17:

10:05 pm PST, Dec 1, James Perry, Louisiana

# 16:

9:54 pm PST, Dec 1, Ari R. Kolman, Canada
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 15:

6:09 pm PST, Dec 1, Name not displayed, Mississippi
Coast residents need housing...

# 14:

4:18 pm PST, Dec 1, Glenda Perryman, Mississippi

# 13:

3:52 pm PST, Dec 1, Francys Johnson, Georgia

# 12:

3:45 pm PST, Dec 1, Christy Dunaway, Mississippi

# 11:

3:40 pm PST, Dec 1, Will McElhinny, California
This is a direct attack on the low income community and those who can least afford to defend themselves. Obviously people would rather have big expensive houses but it simply isn't a possibility for many Gulf Coast Residents. To take away their right to temporary FEMA housing, simply because some people don't like the site of the FEMA cottages is unconscionable. Stop attacking those most hurt by Katrina!

# 10:

3:40 pm PST, Dec 1, Chum R, Canada

# 9:

3:18 pm PST, Dec 1, Kristina Salgado, Arkansas

# 8:

2:54 pm PST, Dec 1, Beth Orlansky, Mississippi

# 7:

2:54 pm PST, Dec 1, Beth Orlansky, Mississippi

# 6:

2:41 pm PST, Dec 1, Name not displayed, Mississippi

# 5:

2:04 pm PST, Dec 1, Steve Dale, Australia

# 4:

1:58 pm PST, Dec 1, Melinda Manderbach, California

# 3:

1:54 pm PST, Dec 1, Freddie Geisler, Florida

# 2:

12:49 pm PST, Dec 1, Beth Meyer, Mississippi
I am a housing counselor on the Gulf Coast. Affordable housing is a problem along the Gulf Coast still. It would be a of great assistance to the residents of Biloxi if those depending on the MEMA Cottages for a home are allowed to keep them permenantly.

# 1:

12:24 pm PST, Dec 1, Charmel Gaulden, Mississippi

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