WAVELAND, Miss. -- The golden years were looking good for Theresa James, 82, mother of three, grandmother of five, great-grandmother of four, widow, last surviving child of nine and lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast.
Her big house in Clermont Harbor sold, leaving her with a tidy but sufficient monthly income rolling in. She was happily at home in a $585-a-month apartment on Third Street south of downtown Bay St. Louis.
There were a few ups and downs with her health and such, but she was at the peak of an artistic career, painting colorful oils of jazz funerals, shrimp boats and cotton fields. Then came Katrina. The hurricane took all of her belongings and landed her in a 150-square-foot FEMA trailer on a friend’s newly vacant lot in Waveland.
Now this Toyota-driving, white-haired grand dame of the Hancock County Senior Center, sharp as a tack and sunny as an August afternoon in her native Galveston, is among tens of thousands of renters in the hurricane zone who lost their homes to the storm and whose prospects of finding new ones are generally far worse than residents who owned their homes.
That’s because while billions in federal dollars are being handed out to directly help rebuild single-family homes, almost none has been made available so far to replenish rental housing in the hurricane zone. In Hancock County 20 months after the storm, not a single nail has yet been pounded to replace any of the hundreds of multi-family subsidized and market-rate rental units that were lost to the hurricane.
As a result, thousands of renters remain in FEMA trailers or other temporary housing as they do elsewhere in Mississippi and Louisiana. To add insult to injury, rents are skyrocketing on the few units that have been renovated. Others, like Theresa James’ apartment, are being turned into condominiums that their former tenants have no hopes of buying.
'The most powerless group'
“Rental Katrina victims are essentially the most powerless group of all in trying to fashion a recovery,” says Reilly Morse, an attorney with Mississippi Center for Justice, which advocates for racial and economic justice along the coast. “They have to depend entirely on landowners and land developers to make something happen.”
The loss was staggering. In a state where nearly 30 percent of the residents are renters, 72,116 renter-occupied units were damaged or destroyed by Katrina, according to Gov. Haley Barbour’s office.
In Hancock County, where the pre-Katrina number of renters ranged from 20 percent in the county as a whole to more than 35 percent in Bay St. Louis, there are no precise figures on how much rental housing was lost. All 176 public housing units in Waveland and Bay St. Louis were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Hundreds of other apartment units were knocked out of commission either permanently or temporarily. An untold number of additional rental units were among the thousands of single-family homes that were destroyed.
Of the $5.5 billion in federal Community Development Block Grants that the state is handing out to spur post-Katrina rebuilding, a huge share has so far gone to homeowners. According to the state’s latest figures, $869 million was distributed to 12,413 families in a first round of grants. Another 10,000 homeowners will receive funds in a second round that will also distribute hundreds of millions.
When it comes to rentals, however, just $100 million has so far been allocated from the grant pool. It is going to five public housing authorities along the Gulf Coast, including the agencies in Waveland and Bay St. Louis that have been combined since the storm.
But that money, less than 2 percent of the $5.5 billion in federal grants, falls short of the $111 million in losses suffered by the housing authorities. And it will likely be many months or years before construction on replacement public housing units actually gets under way. Precise timetables were unavailable from officials with the new Waveland-Bay St. Louis Housing Authority, who said they were too busy consolidating offices to meet with reporters.
Plan to bolster rental housing unveiled
In late April, Gov. Barbour announced a new plan to bolster rental housing in the hurricane zone. Some $263 million in forgivable loans would be offered to owners of rental properties with four units or less. At $30,000 a unit, the state expects 5,000 rental housing units could be built or repaired under the program, and rented to tenants who meet certain income limits. But the program has yet to win final approval and it remains unclear if and when it could start.
So far, private developers have not shown much interest in building new apartment complexes. Buz Olsen, who currently oversees the Bay St. Louis building department, says no permits have yet been issued in his city, although there have been some applications filed for tax-credit programs that could eventually see about 450 units built. Again, that could be years away.
In Waveland, one developer has begun site preparations for four units on Nicholson Avenue and another has gotten the green light to start work on a 100-unit complex at Waveland Avenue and Highway 90, said building official Otis Sharpe. Other than that, he has merely had “a lot of inquiries” about restoring a number of heavily damaged complexes along Waveland Avenue.
No permits have been issued in unincorporated areas. “It’s all still on drawing table,” said Hancock County building official Anthony Cuevas.
Demand far outstrips supply
The situation has created a rental market that’s tighter than a Waffle House lobby on Sunday morning. Thousands of renters like Theresa James – who is on a waiting list for a Catholic-operated senior apartment and a Habitat for Humanity home -- are still waiting it out in FEMA trailers, according to Olsen.
Others, like welder Nathan Cranmer, 27, who grew up in Kiln and lost his $900-a-month rental home on St. Charles Street in Bay St. Louis in Katrina, bunked in shelters, trailers and with relatives while looking for affordable new digs to rent. A year after the storm, he found one place, but moved out in disgust after five months of living under a leaky roof. Just recently, he was delighted to find “a little bitty apartment” in Waveland for $700 a month.
The shortage “concerns everyone here” Olsen said. “We are a blue-collar community as well as an upscale community. We don’t have that affordable side.”
The lack of urgency and government support to restore rental housing does not surprise Morse of the Mississippi Center for Justice. “There’s an inappropriate moral attitude about renters in some circles that isn’t justified,” he said. In Gulfport and Biloxi in neighboring Harrison County, he pointed out, even when new complexes have been approved through tax-credit financing schemes, they have been blocked by not-in-my-backyard neighbors who fear that “affordable housing” will bring social problems that slash property values.
“I do know that that’s a problem,” said Donna Sanford, disaster recovery director of the Mississippi Development Authority. She said the state has formed a team to work with local governments on some of the NIMBY issues. “I think we are doing a lot of things,” she said, touting grant money spent on infrastructure that could also help foster construction of new rental housing.
In the meantime, Theresa James waits it out in her trailer, happy to have a roof over her head and her independence. FEMA recently extended the time period that Katrina victims can use the trailers rent-free and nobody expects tenants to be forced out of them any time soon.
James does her painting at the senior center in Bay St. Louis, so studio space is not an issue. But she’s afraid to use the propane stove and there are some things that she has no room for in the trailer.
“I certainly do miss my recliner,” she says.
We're not quite ready for another one
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What is wrong with you People? Just move away from there. Here's a clue: They call it a flood plain for a reason. If you live below sealevel next to the Sea it's a problem. The Gulf Coast is Hurricane terrority, they will get hit again. Why would private industry build an apartment in a high risk area and then virtually give it to you?
I'm sick of the Katrina whinning, fix it yourself or move.
Tim in Florida (Sent May 2, 2007 10:58:51 AM)
To Shane Migues:
I didn't read one person's quote that said "Woe is me". All were just stating fact.
D Atlanta, Ga (Sent May 2, 2007 10:59:58 AM)
I'm a working, single parent with three children. We literally had the house we were renting sold out from underneath us. We had two days to find a new place and move out. My rent went from 695 to 900. I can barely afford this, but what choice do I have? The renters need help here!!
Kathy, Gulfport, MS (Sent May 2, 2007 11:00:48 AM)
Move...Try cleveland or wichita Oklahoma city or boise. The cost of living is cheeper and there is plenty of homes for rent
Joe Joe Tallahassee Fl (Sent May 2, 2007 11:01:05 AM)
It will never cease to amaze me...the utter greed and selfishness of man. People suck big time! why hasn't the government stepped in with a mandate to freeze insurance rate hikes and realestate values? These insurance companies are blood sucking idiots. How much do you bet they still make record profits at the end of the year even with payouts. And of course the land ownwers will take advantage of the situatiion and ask stupid amounts for rent because they know they can get away with it. What about the looting happening after the storm or the idiots shooting at people?...From the beginning of it and continuing today there are nothing but losers out there trying to better themselves... I'll say it again PEOPLE SUCK!!I wish God would hurry up and put and end to all of it!
Ken B., Ontario, Canada (Sent May 2, 2007 11:01:47 AM)
I was just in New Orleans, Metairie, and Kenner this last weekend. Some areas are making great progess and others are not. The ones doing well seem to be the ones who do not need govt help and are able to do things on their own steam. There is no lower income housing and nobody seems to care except the people who NEED that housing. The insurance companies, and all levels of govt. should be ashamed of themselves. Anybody taking advantage of this situation, whether its getting money they are not qualified for or jacking up rental prices should know one thing: what goes around, comes around.
J (Sent May 2, 2007 11:02:38 AM)
It is so very sad to see Americans struggling to make ends meet. The Katrina Survivors are facing such immense hardships even to find a roof over their heads; I have a question to ask the Republicans? What business do we have in Iraq, when we cant bloody well take care of our own citizens? We have destroyed their country for Contracts and Oil! And here we are with a Broke FEMA passing the buck on to others! Shame on you Republicans!
Mikael Lundgren, Dallas, TX (Sent May 2, 2007 11:02:42 AM)
Live by the nanny state, die by the nanny state. No other govt. on this earth would have the money or wherewithal to clean up after a mess like Katrina, why are you shocked our's cannot either? Greed, incompetence...duh. More hurricanes are coming. The fun has only just begun.
Humbert in NC (Sent May 2, 2007 11:03:11 AM)
Nothing saying she cannot move to an unaffected area where rentals are more available. The cost of living in hurricane areas needs to be borne by those living there. That living in those areas is expensive may preclude low income residents.
Mike (Sent May 2, 2007 11:04:53 AM)
Look at the underlying numbers. Who in their right minds thinks the government should be handing out $70,000 to families there for new housing in 'grants'. That simply means the other taxpayers in this country paid the bill. Gave someone a free house. Now if I choose not to have insurance and my house burns does anyone think the government is going to give me money for a new house? Not likely!!!
It's time for the people downt here to work, take care of themselves. Want rental housing? Don't tax the property for 5 years and watch the developers come. Everyone wants to 'bash' the rich, but who among you is willing to open a savings account and put your money in with NO INTEREST? Enough volunteers come along and you could build a place with that money. And if your tenants trash it? Well you certainly tried to do the right thing. Sorry you didn't earn any interest. Sorry you lost your principle.
Matters such as these should be dealt with by 'grown ups', not 'feel-gooders'. And just watch the feel-gooders comments too. They have great ideas ... always with someone else's money to support it. Not one of them would cash in their 401K and go down there and build a rental house for the poor suffering masses they claim to support.
Tom, Toledo, Ohio (Sent May 2, 2007 11:06:30 AM)
Whoever said New Orleans is the only coastal city that is below sea level needs to do some more homework.
Allie (Sent May 2, 2007 11:10:09 AM)
Hey all - Noone ANYWHERE is promised a roses garden!! If you can't afford to live there anymore than MOVE!! Get on with your life and stop waiting for handouts!! What happened to earning your living and not depending on others for your lifestyle!! I feel for these people but get on with it and stop waiting for something to happen! Set an example .........YOU take control of your life instead of sitting around waiting!!!
Laura (Sent May 2, 2007 11:10:52 AM)
Without a middle and lower class, there can't be an upper class.
Who will serve the needs of the rich? Who will work in the grocery stores, restaurants, malls, etc.? Average workers won't be able to afford to live in areas with high-priced housing.
That's what is happening in Florida. Where I live, housing costs have doubled or tripled in the last decade. Plus, insurance and property taxes together cost more than the mortgage payment. Rent for a "cheap" studio apartment is pushing $900.
Businesses are closing all over the place because (1) the business can't afford the rent and (2) employees can't afford to live in the area. At least one restaurant is closing every month.
So let the rich people have their overpriced homes -- but they'll have nowhere to shop and nowhere to eat out. Let's see how quickly the rich complain that it's their "right" to have all comforts and conveiences provided by the poor.
Melissa, Clearwater, Florida (Sent May 2, 2007 11:10:59 AM)
What most people don't understand is that it also cost the landlords money to maintain the apartments and to pay for insurance, etc. They have to charge enough rent to covere their costs as well as a little extra for unexpected expenses (I write from personal experience). I can tell you that the insurance rates have skyrocketed in the south and the landlords have had NO CHOICE but to raise the rents in order to cover that cost. Let's stop blaming the landlords and start focusing our attention on the insurance companies who are directly responsible for the rental costs being driven upwards!
Sourthern Maryland (Sent May 2, 2007 11:12:46 AM)
Well, in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita our lives will never be the same.Katrina was the worst Hurricane in history so everyone who is trying to sugarcoat other storms its not the same. And many of us have decided to move on from it all and live for today because in the end it's all you have.
Katrina Survior........
Charlotte St.Amand Dallas, Texas (Sent May 2, 2007 11:16:19 AM)
The federal government is not an open check book!
Where are the local and state governments? It has become very expensive to insure property in the affected areas, thus rents are increased to cover the added expenses. We need to stop relying on the federal government to take care of everything. Tax dollars should not be spent building and rebuilding in damaged areas (California, Florida, Missippi). If you choose to build in these areas then you should be responsible for your own foolishness.
Lois (Sent May 2, 2007 11:16:41 AM)
The greatest thing that could happen, and I know this may shock some the mandy pandy talk about fixing government/rebuild the dikes and city of New Orleans blah blah blah, but I truly believe that any idiot who lives below sea level gets EXACTLY what they deserve, I hope another more powerful hurricane finishes it off. Maybe then both the government and the fools who think there HAS to be a New Orleans will figure out just how stupid and ignorant they are to even dream of wasting billions of dollars on a rebuilding a bucket. If you live on a coast, or along a river, or on a known fault line, your on your own as far as I am concerned. You want to waste your own money and risk your lives to say "Hey, I live below sea level" do it without crying about the nation not "helping you rebuild your lives" I mean really, if they are gonna cry maybe the rest of us in this country should start acting like idiots, heck give me a million dollars and I will go build a house in the middle of a five lane interstate somewhere and cry that the government should give me more money to build another one when trucks or cars crash thru it. Thats right, sounds STUPID, dosn't it?!
Not Below Sea Level, USA (Sent May 2, 2007 11:18:32 AM)
I typically am a very sensitive and compassionate person, but Katrina was nearly 2 years ago! The government is NOT responsible for the fact that some people opted to rent, rather than buy, a home and are disappointed when their rental property is no longer available to them at the price they hoped for. The market determines prices of real estate in this country. This is the land of opportunity, not handouts. There is limitless opportunity elsewhere in this country. Find a new home, get a job, and accept responsibility for the situation YOU have put yourself in.
Cassandra B. Washington, DC (Sent May 2, 2007 11:19:35 AM)
This is an aspect I hadn't foreseen. I am a renter also. I was fortunate enough to have been living in the Seattle area when Katrina went through. To charge 4 times the normal rent just because of a natural disaster is terrible. Unfortunatly right now, I am not in a position to help or I would.
Tim H., Brooksville, Fl (Sent May 2, 2007 11:21:37 AM)
I actually stayed in New Orleans through Hurricane Katrina. The actually storm was scary but not as scary as the aftermath. I decided to leave New Orleans four days after the storm hit when my supplies were low and there was not sign of FEMA. I drove on the MS river levees to get to Baton Rouge. While driving out it looked like pictures from the old south after the civil war. People were walking out of the city carrying what ever they could carry. But I was lucky. My car had made it through the storm and I had a full tank of gas. Even after a week things were uncertain so I went to stay with family for a month in Colorado until I could return. When I did return I still did not have electricity and the landlord wanted the rent! The landlord didn't charge anyone for September but October he demanded rent. Since I hadn't worked in 5weeks funds were short. Plus my apartment landlord said up front rent would be going up. The living conditions are horrible and the landlords are unreasonable. It forced me to abandon my apartment, job, and school. I have now moved to Birmingham Alabama and things are well for me here. I have it a lot better than most, but the emotional scares will be there forever. My family is spread out. None of my family lives in this area. There are days I wake up and think I am still in New Orleans, my family only a few miles away, all of my friends, my old job, and everything the way it was before the storm. I think what people don't realize about hurricane victims is that not only do you have the financial problems but having to leave one life behind and find another. Unfortunately that is what many Katrina victims are having to do. Who can pay higher rent for not that great of conditions. Good Luck to all and God Bless. Kelly, Birmingham, AL
Kelly Munster (Sent May 2, 2007 11:22:23 AM)
IF you live in a area prone to flood, hurricanes, you take on that risk by moving there. I disagree with the gov't paying over and over for people to rebuild their homes. Sorry, I do not feel we should pay for housing indefinitely for people. And the amount of rent you quote is peanuts comapred to the North East where I live. When I moved I looked where I could afford, if prices doubled here, I would have to move! I do not expect the gov't to pay for me to stay.
Gayle. Baltimore, MD (Sent May 2, 2007 11:23:19 AM)
Folks, Here's the simple facts.
1) Single family homes occupied by an owner tend to have a much higher value. Higher value = more property taxes paid = more money "given" to people that is returned to the government.
2) Owners of single family homes are much, much, much more likely to be a regular voter. The money goes to the people who put our elected officials in power. Period.
The Solution (and it's very simple and easy)
--------------------------------------------
Poor people should vote in every election. Vote for people who will stand up for your rights, don't wait until catastrophe hits and question why a representative of big business is giving money to corporations and not people.
Protest, march in the streets, make your voices heard. Once upon a time the people ran this country and things worked pretty well then.
Reach out to people who are willing to help you. Be creative. Here's an example. Write Hugo Chavez (google him if you don't know him) a letter telling him you're a poor, homeless American citizen who hasn't been helped after Katrina. That will generate a media storm.
Bottomline stick up for yourself and demand results from the people in charge and don't be afraid to pursue results at any extreme.
Anonymous (Sent May 2, 2007 11:24:11 AM)
What's really important is that though Katrina truly is the worst disaster to hit the United States and will have devastating affects on all involved for years to come, Katrina is a part of the sign of the times we are living in and no one is paying attention, in Matthrew Jesus speaks of all the things were to come upon the earth at a particular time and natural disasters is listed as part of the sign, they are so many and they are every where that you can't deny that something really big is taking place and if this is happening as Jesus said it would and everything he said is taking place it surely leads us to believe that everything else he said will also come true! And in that case shouldn't we all be trying to find out what he said! The only way to do that is to get the truth of God's word. We don't want to be like the people Jesus speaks about in Matthrew 24:37-39, they didn't pay attention to the sign until it was upon them. As big as Katrina was, something much bigger is coming. Pay attention to world news it is everywhere, everywhere! Something is coming we need to prepare ourselves now!
M.N.W, New Orleans, LA 70113 (Sent May 2, 2007 11:24:32 AM)
Maybe they should move out of state where housing is more avaliable. And quit relying on the government for a free ride.
Bert, Dayton, OH (Sent May 2, 2007 11:25:55 AM)
Well, in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita our lives will never be the same.Katrina was the worst Hurricane in history so everyone who is trying to include other storms and disaters its not the same. You all make your judgments from the media you the know the heart of New Orleans what it really means to each individual and you will never know but I do. I have decided to move on to stick it out in Dallas for my family to have a better life it's not where I want to be is where I need to be so I'm going to take this time to better myself mentally,financially and spritually. But, just remember a Katrina can happen anywhere. We have to live for today because in the end it's all you have.Life is too short.And honestly we're leaving in hell on earth.
Katrina Survior........
Charlotte St.Amand Dallas, Texas (Sent May 2, 2007 11:26:57 AM)
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