Allow Mississippi Cottages to Be Placed in Biloxi!
- by: Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center
- recipient: 100
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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