Mississippi has been approved for direct housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide Transportable Temporary Housing Units (TTHUs) for residents displaced due to the March 24th tornadoes.
Roughly 250 survivors in the designated counties (Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola, and Sharkey) are currently eligible for direct housing assistance. FEMA personnel are calling qualified applicants regarding their eligibility and moving forward with the next steps of this temporary housing process.
“The state of Mississippi is in this for the long haul – we’re not going anywhere,” Governor Tate Reeves said. “We’ll continue to seek out every available resource to help these communities rebuild and get people back on their feet. FEMA and Samaritan’s Purse have been great partners throughout the recovery process. I’m incredibly thankful to all those around the country who have supported Mississippians in their moment of need.”
Those who’ve already applied for FEMA assistance are urged not to apply again for direct housing assistance.
FEMA will contact the survivor if they are eligible for direct housing assistance. FEMA will never ask for any money. Residents who qualify for direct housing can live in the temporary housing units for up to 18 months.
Along with direct housing, Samaritan’s Purse is helping families in need through its mobile home replacement program.
Eligible applicants must meet Samaritan’s Purse criteria, including that the homeowner must be a resident who owned their mobile home or a single-family home that was destroyed by the recent tornadoes and was uninsured or under-insured. The non-profit organization will conduct case management and work directly with survivors.
“Samaritan’s Purse is grateful to be able to help Mississippi families with long-term recovery by offering a mobile home replacement program. We are having these mobile homes specially built to be more durable than the standard. While we can’t make them stormproof, these mobile homes will be rated to withstand Wind Zone III. They will have stronger roofing and floor joists, 2” by 6“ studs with plywood walls, more durable flooring, tempered glass, additional tie-downs, and other enhancements. As we reach out to families, we want them to know that they are not alone—God loves them, and we want to help them get back on their feet after these devastating tornadoes,” Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse said.
The Mississippi Disaster Housing Task Force will help identify resources for residents who do not qualify for direct housing or Samaritan’s Purse mobile home replacement program.
Survivors can find a list of resources that are available to them here.
