Chapter 2--Long Beach, MS.

Question:
-What are your regulations or restrictions on modular homes in the City of Long Beach?
-What are your objections to the Katrina Cottages?

These are not mobile homes they are modular, approved by the State Fire Marshall, and up held by judges. Perhaps you don't like them, we don't like your home either. But that does not give us the right to force you to move, just as you do not have the right to force these families to move. It takes people from all kinds of jobs to make a City and make it work. From politicians to pastors, mechanics to magistrates, council members and lawyers. No one has the right to tell another that they can not live here or have this type of home to be here and accepted it. This type of class posturing is unacceptable in our cities and violates everything that I, as a Veteran, have fought for. This type of action, makes my stomach turn and serves to strengthen my resolve to overturn it. I have been in the Military since 1984. I tell you this not out of boast, but to illustrate my dedication and commitment to the things I believe in. I do not give up and never fold at the sign of a fight.


Davis "Beau" Kring
WavelandWatchers.wordpress.com


Tuesday, Oct. 6th,
Long Beach meeting was a success for the 5 cottage dwellers who are beginning litigation with the City. They are safe for the time being. But for the other 17 cottage dwellers, the uncertainty continues.

Labels: Beau Kring, Long Beach MS, Waveland

June 2, 2009

by Beau and Cheryl Kring
Co-Chairs, Mississippi PPEHRC /Wave watchers

Tonight at the City meeting we all came to an agreement and we get to
keep our cottages on our property's. We (8 Families) sued the City of
Waveland for the right to keep our cottages on our property. It has
been a long 6 months, but after a few court battles (Which we won) and
arguing at meetings, we finally got the answer tonight. At first they
wanted us to agree with their 16 counts on the 1st. MOU. If we had
NONE of us would have been able to keep our cottages on our own
property. They droped 15 of the counts and kept one in this new MOU.
We all agreed, and signed notarized paper stating that we would never
rent the cottage out to anyone and it has to be our primary resident.
We can sell our property or will it to a family member with the
stipulation that they can never rent it out and it has to be their
primary resident. I feel there are NO losers here. We are all winners.
We get to keep our homes on our own land, and the City gets to keep
their residents, and that means there tax base's. There's not many
people here in Waveland. Very few south of the tracks. There is only 5
houses on our street.
After the meeting was over, there were lots of hugging. We all went
home. I got home and cryed. The overwelming feeling I am having that
it is finally over. My GOD, to know this house is going to finally be
ours. Now the next step is to buy the cottage. Our elevation and
survey has already be done. All we need to do is sign papers and hand
over money. Then MEMA will raise us as high as we need to go. I want
to thank everyone who had a hand in helping all of us keep our homes.
But mainly I want to thank GOD, because without him we would have
never met Andrew Canter and the Mississippi Center for Justice. They
are a wonderful team with great hearts. Thank You, Thank You, Thank
You.

Labels: Beau Kring, Cheryl Kring, Cottage, FEMA, MEMA, Mississippi, MS PPEHRC, Waveland

Original Article: http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1094988.html
By J.R. WELSH - jrwelsh@sunherald.com

WAVELAND — A small group of residents rallied Monday in support of a pending lawsuit and their push to keep living in Mississippi cottages when a state program expires.

About 20 cottage residents gathered at the Waveland ball field on Central Avenue, carrying homemade signs and making short speeches. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed Friday on the issue is expected to make its way to court this week.

“We need this permanent housing,” Andrew Canter, a lawyer at the Mississippi Center for Justice, told those at the rally. “We’re not going to let it be taken back.”

Canter and another lawyer from the justice center filed suit on behalf of eight Waveland residents still living in the small hurricane-relief cottages. They sued Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo and the Board of Aldermen, saying the city acted improperly when it decided to allow cottages to stay only in areas zoned for trailers when a housing program by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency expires at the end of March.

In response, Longo said the lawsuit was “unbelievable.” He said the city had already taken steps to change its position, renegotiate a memorandum of understanding with MEMA, and allow cottages to remain in areas zoned residential.

Canter said he would be filing an additional brief in the case, which is scheduled to be heard at 9 a.m. Friday in Chancery Court in Gulfport.

The Hancock County Board of Supervisors decided last week to allow the cottages to stay in residential neighborhoods, citing a state law that considers the structures to be modular homes, not mobile homes. Thus far the Bay St. Louis City Council has continued to restrict cottages to trailer parks.

Not everyone watching Monday’s rally of about 20 people favored the cottages. Waveland resident John Peterson, 73, sat in his car across the street holding an anti-cottage sign. He said the small, shotgun-style Mississippi cottages are ruining his investment in his home, which he rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina.

“I rebuilt a $179,000 home and I’ve got Katrina cottages near me,” Peterson said. “What does that do to my property values?”

But one after another, cottage residents and their supporters made short speeches invoking their rights to a home. MEMA has offered to sell the cottages at low prices to residents who can meet a list of criteria.

Labels: Biloxi, CHANGER, Cheri Honkala, FEMA, Housing, Katrina, MEMA, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, PPEHRC, Rev. Bruce Wright, Waveland

The Waveland residents turned out for a first-ever public rally to stand for their right to housing. They were joined by PPEHRC members Cheri Honkala, Rev. Bruce Wright of Tampa, and Mary Bricker-Jenkins of CHANGERs in Tennessee.

Waveland Rally

More pictures and stories to come.

Labels: Biloxi, CHANGER, Cheri Honkala, FEMA, Housing, Katrina, MEMA, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, PPEHRC, Rev. Bruce Wright, Waveland

Original Articles:
WAVELAND — A group of Waveland residents has filed a lawsuit against city aldermen and the mayor, claiming their rights were violated when they were refused permits to remain in Hurricane Katrina cottages.

The lawsuit was filed in Hancock County Chancery Court Friday by lawyers with the Biloxi-based Mississippi Center for Justice. It asks the court to issue a preliminary injunction against the city, forbidding officials to force the residents from their cottages when a housing program by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency expires.

MEMA officials started distributing the cottages to displaced homeowners after Katrina.

There are eight plaintiffs, some of whom are disabled. Defendants named in the suit are Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo and the city’s board of aldermen.

Labels: Biloxi, CHANGER, Cheri Honkala, FEMA, Housing, Katrina, MEMA, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, PPEHRC, Rev. Bruce Wright, Waveland

By Al Showers
Original Article: http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=9736905&nav=6DJI

WAVELAND, MS (WLOX) - Two national social justice organizations brought their voices to Hancock County Monday. The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, based in Minnesota, and the Social Welfare Action Alliance of Tennessee sent representatives to Waveland.

Watch Video of the MEMA Cottage Rally

The groups are trying to rally support for those who want to make Mississippi Cottages permanent homes. Cheri Honkala helped to organize the rally because of what she calls a reluctance by elected leaders to allow the Mississippi Cottages to become permanent homes.

"I'm with the Poor People's Economic Human Right's Campaign. I'm a formerly homeless mother and I'm very passionate about this issue.You dare touch any of these families, we'll come make Mississippi our home. We will set up tents. We will go to jail," Honkala said.

The protestors then paused for prayer. Rev. Bruce Wright with Refuge Ministries of Florida said, "I believe firmly that people that claim to follow Jesus should be concerned about people having a place to live, and not being put out on the streets."

The rally sparked a counter protest from people who don't want to see the cottages become permanent.

"Not everybody's for this. Not everybody's for the cottages next to their houses that they built brand new and spent thousands and hundreds of thousands and their whole grant money. Some people are responsible, some people are not," Waveland resident Scott Peterson said.

John and Silvia Peterson said, "Why not go into a trailer park? No, they think they're too good for that."

Waveland Resident Mary Sherrouse says it's not her fault the cottage has become a necessity.

"I have tried to rebuild, but had to let go of a contractor that wasn't building to code and lacking some money because of it. And I love my MEMA cottage and am just horrified to think people are so, the city is so heartless to want to throw us out," Sherrouse said.

Bayside Park resident David Winkles agrees.

"Don't put the old people, the sick people, the people with no place to go, the people with kids out on the streets - don't send them to trailer parks. Do the right thing. Let them have MEMA cottages on their own property," Winkles said.

City and county leaders have taken steps to allow the cottages to become permanent. But cottage-dwellers are concerned that the rules will be so strict they will not qualify.

Labels: Biloxi, Cheri Honkala, FEMA, MEMA, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, PPEHRC, Refuge Ministries of Florida, Rev. Bruce Wright, Social Welfar Action Alliance, Waveland

Original Article: http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=9724331

WAVELAND, MS (WLOX) - The cottage battles in Waveland will now be fought in court. Friday afternoon, the Mississippi Center for Justice filed suit on behalf of eight Waveland residents who want to keep their temporary cottages as permanent dwellings in the city.

Waveland leaders have been struggling with a decision on whether cottages can stay after the end of the government's temporary housing program March 31st.

The suit, filed in Hancock County Chancery Court, says the city wrongly denied permits to cottage residents when it misclassified the cottages as mobile homes instead of modular homes.

Riley Morse is an attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice.

"Within a week a court is going to hear arguments whether Waveland's effort to split hair between other kinds of modular and the Katrina Cottages hold water," Morse said. "We think they won't, and we hope that when the court hears the argument they will agree with MEMA and most of the other jurisdictions that say modular embraces these cottages and they should be allowed to stay permanently."

The case will be heard next Friday. To see the filed suit, click here.

Labels: Biloxi, Cheri Honkala, FEMA, MEMA, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, PPEHRC, Refuge Ministries of Florida, Rev. Bruce Wright, Social Welfar Action Alliance, Waveland