In the News

Cottage residents battle deadlines, changing rules

June 22, 2010

Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE

WAVELAND — Residents who want to keep Mississippi cottages brought after Hurricane Katrina met Monday night with state officials to discuss their frustrations as the disaster housing program comes to an end, in many cases with forced evictions.

Residents who were told they could buy their cottages for an income-based price have encountered various roadblocks, including inability to pay for required flood elevations, the lack of any appeal process before court eviction, little if any communication from their housing advisors, inaccessibility of public records and changing program rules.

About 50 residents attended the meeting to get answers from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, which runs the program. Director Mike Womack told organizers Monday afternoon that he would be unable to attend. Instead, Womack sent four MEMA managers and four housing advisors.

Residents wanted to know why the program can’t be extended. James McDaniel, the deputy director who oversees housing, said the program must end at some point because grant funds are running out.

“The potential to extend this program out for years is there,” McDaniel said. “We have to have a deadline to end this program.”

MEMA is using federal grant funds to elevate cottages for residents who meet requirements to keep them as long as the elevation is no more than 5 feet 7 inches. However, some residents must elevate higher. MEMA has grant funds for those cases, but McDaniel explained MEMA can not cover the cost for residents who have already received insurance or other grant proceeds because, under federal law, that would be considered a duplication of benefits.

A couple of residents said they have spent thousands of dollars after being told by MEMA they could keep the cottages, only to find federal flood elevations have changed and they no longer qualify.

One woman wanted a copy of her housing file to fight eviction, but said she was told the charge would be $300 to $400, which included the cost of copies, clerical time to copy the records and attorney review. Residents, who call themselves the Cottage Coalition, are meeting every Thursday night at the Leo Seal Center on U.S. 90 in an effort to work through their issues. The Monday night meeting was held at their request, with attorneys from the Mississippi Center for Justice moderating.