Carnival is Upon Us!

Saturday, February 17th, 2007

I have a new language. I now speak FEMA. When one goes to a meeting to learn about the process for applying for a fair share of the disaster pie, one needs to be fluent in FEMA. As one might expect, FEMA is largely spoken in mnemonics. Some of them are more familiar than others and I suspect the ECM (another one) folks will be able to rattle them off easily. See how many you know. Answers will appear at the end!

CDBG, MDA, SRPAP, CDC, AMI, MR, ECD, GO-Zone, CDFI, LIHTC

Mnemonics aside the numbers are staggering and the complexity of the distribution program is mind-boggling. Much of the money sits in the hands of government agencies or credit unions waiting for qualified recipients to be identified. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of families in the four coastal counties of Mississippi for whom there is no money. These include condo owners, houseboat owners, trailer owners, and renters. They are not eligible for housing replacement funds because they did not own the land on which their dwelling sat. Many of those who do qualify as land-owners and who meet the income requirement find themselves still waiting because they cannot prove a clear title. Many of the records were destroyed in the same water that took the dwelling. The saying “run in circles- scream and shout” seems appropriate to this situation.

Today, I attended a meeting at the Mississippi Development Authority on the mechanism for the distribution of Phase II funds. The meeting took place at one of the centers where homeowners go to apply for building grants. The center was located in an outlet strip mall off Interstate 10. Opening the door I was greeting by 5 people in t-shirts sitting behind a long table. There room was large, but there were white cloth drapes, hanging like the curtains in a hospital room and separating the room into several smaller areas of “privacy”. I believe there were about 25 people working there. There was also a steady stream of people coming in to get help filling out the paperwork. The noise made it difficult to imagine how anyone could concentrate on their work. The MDA workers were polite and friendly though. People were patient with the process, but I suspect that this had more to do with combat fatigue from the process than from anything else. As I sat in that room with so much going on all about me, I was struck by how much the scene resembled the chaos in Baton Rouge right after the levees broke. In hundreds of over-crowded shelters people used imaginary lines to cordon off small areas for themselves. There are so many people trying to find some place - some space to call their own. Our constitution guarantees us the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Sometimes that “pursuit” is a really twisted journey.

And so we try to reach out to those we can help. The non-profits with whom I have been working are awesome folks who are committed to being hands and voice for those who would otherwise be overlooked. The Rev. Carol Stewart of the Diocese of Mississippi (a Deacon and an outreach missioner by call!) has introduced me to the players on the coast and has asked that I work with her to find ways for the Episcopal Church to enter effectively into the recovery process both with volunteers and with financial donations. That is a part of my job that I can get really excited about.

Another group that is still getting a lot of business is the Interfaith Disaster Task Force (IDTF). This group has a huge warehouse that is loaded with material shipped in from all over the country to be distributed to people who are trying to get their homes back together. They do a great job. When the volunteer groups come down, I try to get the building materials there beforehand in order to have them ready to go. The man who runs the warehouse is from Maynard. He and I chuckled about the weather reports from Massachusetts this week.

Sunday a group of young people from Epiphany in Winchester will arrive to work in Bay St Louis. I plan to join them on Tuesday for some work and for the Mardi Gras parade. On Wednesday the group will join Church of the Redeemer for the Ash Wednesday liturgy and then come to my house for gumbo. I am really looking forward to seeing some folks from home. I am also excited about next week as I have the honor of giving the invocation at the beginning of the Mardi Gras Ball here in Biloxi. Formal attire is not my favorite apparel, but this one should be fun. I will try to get some pictures of the festivities.

OK back to the quiz…

• CDBG – Community Development Block Grant
• MDA – Mississippi Development Authority
• SRPAP – Small Rental Property Assistance Program
• CDC – Community Development Corporation
• AMI – Average Median Income
• MR – Market Rate
• ECD – Enterprise Corporation of the Delta
• GO-Zone – Gulf Opportunity Zone
• CDFI – Community Development Financial Institution
• LIHTC – Low Income Housing Tax Credit

That’s it. Lassez les bon temp rouleaux!.