Mississippi Alternative Housing Pilot Program

Project Overview

The state of Mississippi engaged Hagerty to develop and implement an alternative housing plan, providing permanent housing solutions for residents impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Understanding the Mission

Following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, Congress created the Alternative Housing Pilot Program (AHPP) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allocating $400 million in funding. The Mississippi Alternative Housing Program (MAHP) received $281 million of this grant, managed by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). MAHP was tasked with identifying, developing, and transitioning safer, more comfortable alternatives to FEMA’s temporary housing trailers. The goal was to offer permanent housing for survivors across six counties in Mississippi.

The Hagerty Approach

Hagerty designed and executed a strategy to permanently house disaster-affected Mississippi residents using “temporary” Mississippi or eco cottages. Under contract to PBS&J (now part of Atkins), we oversaw all facets of the program, including converting the cottages into long-term solutions, advising MEMA on key decisions, analyzing potential benefits and challenges, and initiating a Cottage Sales Program. The team also worked closely with local elected officials and nonprofit representatives to gain support for the project and improve the existing Cottage Program.

Our team distributed the cottages through individual sales, donations to nonprofits and government agencies, and auctions. Additionally, Hagerty developed the Cottage Sales and Donation Program, creating guidelines, eligibility criteria, and a prioritization schedule. The team also played a crucial role in communicating with communities and gaining approval from local jurisdictions for the permanent placement of the cottages.

Achieving Results

Our alternative housing strategy was successful, with the community widely embracing the Mississippi and eco cottages. Ultimately, the team sold 1,003 cottages to individuals, donated 435, deployed 338, and auctioned 350. Notably, many of the donated cottages went to nonprofits for permanent placement, often as demonstration projects.