Not so happy a New Year For Katrina victims

Will the travesties ever end for those who are attempting to rebuild their lives from the Katrina catastrophe?

Recent news from Waveland, MS identifies the travesties still being visited upon those who want to rebuild their lives by Mississippi Emergency Management Agency decision to remove the "temporary" Katrina Cottages from private land owner's attempting to rebuild their lives.

These cottages, if they are the same one's specifically designed to withstand damages from future storms (being built to required specifications of coastal living), could be purchased in kit form from Lowes and other home building stores. Although they were given for free to displaced homeowner, why were they not built to code?

Another rip off by FEMA?

Each cottage, depending on size, would cost $50K+. I thought they would be permanent housing for those on the coast, so what the hell is going on?

FEMA Strikes Again: Katrina Victims Being Forced Out of Cottages

December 31, 2008
By Rick Jervis
USA Today

WAVELAND, Miss. — Thousands of cottages housing hurricane victims on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be vacated next month, even though many of their occupants aren't ready to move and may have no place to go if forced out.

Photo: Waveland, Miss., residents sit on the porch of their temporary home. (By Mario Tama, Getty Images)

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed the one-, two- and three-bedroom structures to temporarily house displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. There are still 2,300 occupied cottages in Mississippi, said Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Many of the cottages sit on residents' lots while they rebuild wrecked homes, he said.

According to agreements between the state agency and cities, the cottages will need to be emptied by the end of January and removed by March, Womack said.

Housing advocates, residents and some local officials worry that forcing out residents, many of whom are trying to rebuild their homes, will aggravate an already dire housing situation.

"If these (cottages) are gone, there's just not going to be enough affordable housing," said Tim Kellar, county administrator of Hancock County, which includes Waveland. "We don't have an alternate plan if that happens."

FEMA distributed the cottages, free of charge, as an alternative to the temporary trailers that first housed hurricane victims. The program was applauded as Mississippi officials acquired and distributed thousands of the cottages; neighboring Louisiana lagged behind.

The cottages were always meant to be temporary, not a permanent housing solution, Womack said. The structures may not withstand another powerful storm and many violate zoning rules, he said.

"We just can't allow these cottages to stay in place where they're unsafe or degrading the property values of homes around them," Womack said.

Rebuilding homes or finding alternative housing has been a slow, arduous process in post-Katrina Mississippi, said Andrew Canter of the Mississippi Center for Justice, a housing advocacy group. For example, none of the public housing units has been rebuilt in Bay St. Louis and Waveland, two of the hardest-hit coastal towns, leaving scores of residents with few options, he said.

Forcing residents from the cottages next month could leave many hurricane victims homeless, he said. "Thousands of people will not be able to find new housing," Canter said.

FEMA has offered to sell the cottages to residents, pending approval by the cities in which they reside, Canter said. Some of the cities, such as Waveland and Bay St. Louis, will only allow the cottages in trailer parks, he said.

Waveland resident Mary Elizabeth Shaerrouse, 84, has lived in her two-bedroom cottage since October 2007. The cottage is parked on her property while her house is being rebuilt. Problems with a contractor have delayed construction until August 2009. She doesn't know what she'll do if she's forced out by the end of January, she said.

"It's truly a roadblock," Shaerrouse said. "I'm just trying to make it to August."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-30-cottages_N.htm

Who dat, says who dat?

With the S&P ending nearly 40% down in 2008, never mind all the worldwide markets and economies busting; total jobless rolls higher, and statistically worse than the 1930's; and the promise of 2009 being worse, so that we would look at 2008 nostalgically; who does NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg pick to kiss and press the button that lowers the ball to end 2008?

Why its the Bill and Hill Clinton's of course! Talking about ludicrous? Why not get a representative of NY C's Homeless to punch the button?

The reckless abandon that FDR and his New Deal, not to mention the New New Deal we have facing taxpayers for years to come, with promises of the New Year to be worse than '08. How low is low?

The Dollar is no longer a safe tax haven for the world, and just what is safe for investors, should they have anything left to invest after this free-for-all?

Is there ANY hope for us, the little man?

Old Madoff, made off with $50 Billion, spending all but $200 million, according to the latest report...and he's under home arrest to his million dollar apartment on Park Avenue. How does he do that? I am surprised that when he leaves his abode there is no one there to blow him up...as he did to all those folks who invested with him to help with worldwide charities. Scum bag!

Bloomberg should have had Madoff press the ball button, cause this crazy Ponzi schemer should know how to bust balls, right?