Got Nothing for You

Got nothing for you, I had nothing before
Don't even have anything for myself anymore
Sky full of fire, pain pourin' down
Nothing you can sell me, I'll see you around

All my powers of expression and thoughts so sublime
Could never do you justice in reason or rhyme
Only one thing I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

Much like the state tree of Mississippi, the magnolia, things are slow going. There are pockets of poverty in Mississippi which run deep and there hasn't a sense of caring about it. You get the feeling that like in many areas of the country, that rank poverty should be hidden and don't even think about building affordable housing close to our neighborhoods. I'm sad to say my city of Gulfport seems to have taken that stance. Time after time, developers who wish to build rentals and housing developments and earmark a portion for those whose incomes are below $50,000 a year are struck down. It is NIMBY in all its glory. Can't have the working poor close to our gated communities!!!

Before Hurricane Katrina, there used to be options for the working poor. There were rentals people could find for around $400 a month, which is still steep on a limited budget. Now, they are lucky if they find something for $800 a month. There seems to be a trend, not just in Mississippi but across the country, to hide those working poor far from the gaze of those in the middle and high income brackets. Businesses want the cheap labor those working poor provide but G-d forbid they live close by!!

While most cities along the Gulf Coast, such as D'Iberville and Biloxi, are working to ensure affordable housing, Gulfport sticks out like a sore thumb. The New York Times highlights some of the problems:

Some members of Congress are rightly agitated about Mississippi’s shameful attempt to hijack Hurricane Katrina aid — which should have been spent on affordable housing for the poor — for a $600 million expansion of the Port at Gulfport. The Port expansion short changes the neediest Mississippians and has nothing to do with storm damage. It’s actually a pet development project, conceived well before the storm, that should have been paid for through bonds and other means.

Twelve members of the House have fired off a blistering letter (pdf) urging the House Appropriations committee to block the Gulfport project. Among other things, the letter says:

“. . . .the State has made decisions in designing its housing programs that leave renters and low-income families out in the cold.’’

The letter notes that the state has only devoted 55 percent of its emergency federal funding to direct housing recovery programs. The state has also received waivers that allowed it to bypass low and moderate income people on some projects.

The letter portrays Mississippi’s post-hurricane recovery plan as a blatant attempt to short change the low-income families who were supposed to be a main focus of the aid effort. “The State explicitly excluded wind damage from its homeowner assistance program, effectively closing the door for much needed recovery funds on hundreds of thousands of low income households. Fourth, the state has focused almost exclusively on owner-occupied housing, only dedicating 33 percent of funds to rental housing programs.’’

If the Port of Gulfport does go ahead with its plans and jobs are created, where are the workers to live? Housing is an issue that won't go away. As more and more of the FEMA trailer parks are emptied, more homeless are appearing. I see the increase in numbers as I go along the Coast taking photos. And least you think they aren't working: Think again. Many have bikes they use to travel from their jobs to their camp sites. Some are drug and alcohol addicted but the majority have jobs.

The words affordable housing scare many. There is the fear of lowered property values and a raise in crime. I live in a working class neighborhood. I was fortunate to buy my home before prices rose out of reach. In the 11 years I've lived here, there has only been one incident of someone being robbed. It is a quiet neighborhood and we take pride in our small, modest homes. My neighbors, barring 1 or 2 exceptions over the years, tend to be caring and willing to help each other. This came out in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This affordable housing neighborhood watched out for one another and helped one another. Even before Hurricane Katrina, we did the same. We just pulled together more closely in the aftermath.

Perhaps if phrases like low-income housing were changed to working class, there would be less fear and housing could be built with less uproar. Many of the working class include casino workers, teachers, policemen, firemen and others not usually associated with the catch-phrase low-income. The Mississippi Gulf Coast needs more affordable housing and I don't mean those homes that start at $130,000 or rentals which start at $800/month. Many of those who are still homeless had lived in homes which were passed down generation to generation. They are shrimpers, mechanics, store owners, and many others. Though wages went up for many after Hurricane Katrina because of labor shortages, housing prices went up even more. Our leadership needs to address just more than creating jobs or creating an artificial landscape of developments which do not address the overwhelming needs of affordable homes for the working class.