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Pascagoula housing market devastated by FEMA

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Pascagoula leaders say FEMA rules are killing housing market: ‘It’s literally making people homeless’

PASCAGOULA — Josh Church is usually just the messenger, but that doesn’t make him any more popular among city homeowners.

Church is a building official. And in post-Katrina Pascagoula that has meant years of informing homeowners federal rules meant to protect them won’t allow them to spend the needed funds to repair their homes or keep them up to code. 

The city cannot grant the needed building permits if a home or building’s repairs cost more than 50% of what the property is worth. But property values in Pascagoula have plummeted, city officials say, meaning that “50% rule” doesn’t stretch far. Many homes in Pascagoula, built in the 1940s and 50s, are now valued below $100,000.

“It’s literally making people homeless,” Church told Mississippi Today. 

Pascagoula has a growing number of deteriorating homes that wind up condemned, according to city leaders. So on Tuesday, Pascagoula’s mayor, economic development director and other city stakeholders launched a coalition demanding congress change the rules set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency they say have devastated Pascagoula’s housing market. 

“We have to get some relief,” Pascagoula Mayor Jay Willis said during the Tuesday press conference. “They’re slowly killing neighborhoods in Pascagoula.” 

A home on Frederic Street sits abandoned and rotting. The number of derelict homes in Pascagoula is on the rise, according to city officials. They blame FEMA regulations that dictate property owners cannot spend more than 50% a home’s value on repairs.

In 2009, in response to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA put 90% of Pascagoula into expanded flood zones. Pascagoula leaders say before that shift only about 20% of the city was in flood zones. As a result, in the last 17 years the bulk of Pascagoula home values have dropped dramatically. 

“It’s not easy to tell someone that has lived in their house for 30 years that after a small fire, it’s going to cost 60% of their house value for repairs, so we can’t let them fix it,” Church said.

The FEMA rules are intended to protect people from investing in properties that are likely to flood again. City leaders say that in Pascagoula, homes aren’t in a high-degree of danger.

“These neighborhoods have only flooded one time in history and that was during Katrina,” Willis said. 

The coalition has support from state leaders – Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, former Gov. Haley Barbour and Rep. Steven Palazzo – and some of Mississippi’s largest businesses. 

Alan Sudduth, a corporate affairs manager for Chevron, took to the podium Tuesday to give the company’s support but also to point out his workers cannot find homes in Pascagoula. The same sentiments have been echoed by Mississippi Power. It’s common for Ingalls shipbuilders to live out-of-state. 

“Prior to Katrina, we had a healthy percentage of employees who lived in Pascagoula,” Sudduth said. “Since the application of these rules, it’s been a sharp decline.” 

Church said realtors are fielding calls regularly from people who want to live in Pascagoula, which has invested recently in building up its downtown. 

“But we don’t have many for sale because we cannot fix them,” Church said. 

The “50% rule” covers a 10-year span. In the case of a $100,000-valued home, the city cannot permit more than $50,000 in repairs over a decade – that includes everything from roofs, electrical issues to plumbing.

The coalition calls its campaign “S.O.S Pascagoula” with the slogan: “Don’t leave our neighborhoods behind.” 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Trump says he will issue an executive order Monday to get TikTok back up

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www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-01-19 09:20:00

SUMMARY: President-elect Donald Trump announced that he will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the deadline for TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to find an approved U.S. buyer. This decision follows the removal of TikTok from app stores due to a federal law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban, citing national security concerns. Trump’s order would delay the law’s restrictions, offering ByteDance more time to negotiate a sale. Despite challenges, including TikTok’s legal disputes, Trump emphasized the app’s potential value and the importance of keeping it operational in the U.S.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: January 17-19

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-01-17 07:20:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (January 17-19), Mississippi offers a variety of events. Highlights include the JSU Tiger Parade of Champions in Jackson, Fleet Feet Coffee Run, and several Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations. The Bridgid Ferguson Trio and Storytelling Festival also take place in Jackson, along with exhibits like “Of Salt and Spirit.” In Vicksburg, enjoy the Winter Youth Rodeo and Peruvian Delights Wine Dinner, while Natchez hosts a Krewe of Phoenix Ball and a Farmers Market. The Pine Belt features Artrageous in Hattiesburg and karaoke in Laurel. Other events include jazz, comedy, and live performances across the region.

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Biden to address the nation days before Trump's inauguration

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www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-01-15 10:43:00

SUMMARY: Joe Biden’s presidency aimed to “restore the soul” of America post-Trump, but despite bipartisan legislative successes and international alliances, he struggled to change the political landscape. Four years after defeating Trump, Biden faced electoral defeat as Trump made a political comeback. Polls show only a quarter view Biden favorably, even lower than Trump during his presidency. Although Biden touted achievements in infrastructure and economic recovery, rising costs and inflation eroded public support. As he prepares to leave office, questions persist about his legacy and the permanence of the political shift towards populism, leaving Biden’s ambitions unfulfilled.

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