$89.5 Million Awarded for 24 Long Term Workforce Housing Projects in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson Counties

From: Office of the Governor   Filed 9/10/08  GCN

JACKSON, Miss.  – Under its Long Term Workforce Housing program (LTWH), the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is awarding a second round of projects totaling more than $89.5 million, Governor Haley Barbour announced today.

“This action will help construct 2,528 low and moderate income homes in our three coastal counties,” Governor Barbour said.  “The award recipients represent a cross-section of proposals from non-profit organizations as well as projects specifically designed to serve the elderly and disabled.  We’ve also been very deliberate in making sure these projects are spread among Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties, and that the projects are built near schools and jobs.”

The LTWH initiative empowers individuals, private businesses and non-profit groups to leverage federal disaster recovery grants to construct both single and multi-family homes designed to ensure a healthy stock of worker housing, particularly to support the ongoing Hurricane Katrina recovery.

In this round, Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties will see LTWH projects totaling $16.1 million; $44.4 million and $28.9 million and unit levels of 348, 1,016 and 1,164 respectively.

Of the total $89.5 million awarded, single-family and multi-family funding is $53.9 million for 1,437 units and $35.6 million for 1,091 units, respectively.

“These grants will greatly accelerate the pace of installation of affordable housing and will meet many previously unmet needs,” Gerald Blessy, Katrina recovery Housing Director said. “We will work with recipients to facilitate rapid implementation.”          

Mississippi’s federal Katrina recovery dollars are composed of more than $5.4 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding awarded to the state following Hurricane Katrina.  The funds were earmarked by Congress shortly after Katrina’s landfall to restore damaged or destroyed public infrastructure, promote economic recovery, and reclaim and expand the Coast’s housing stock.

Combined with the Small Rental, Public Housing and Tax Credit Gap Financing programs, the LTWH initiative is part of a $700 million overall CDBG-funded plan to build 20,000 to 25,000 low and moderate housing units on the Coast, primarily for renters.

“The proposals awarded were drawn from a pool of 74 potential projects,” Jon Mabry, Chief Operations Officer of MDA’s Disaster Recovery Division said.  “Each of the more than 2,500 planned units will be funded with more than $35,000 in CDBG funds.  This innovative public/private partnership represents the best and fastest way to get quality, permanent worker housing built for people who need it, and to make sure those homes are where they need to be.”