A House For Myra
Community Partners : East Biloxi Coordination Center
Building Partners: Hope Force International, Hands On Gulf Coast, BFS Relief, Habitat for Humanity Northern Virgina
Myra is a single parent of two young sons, and works full time at the Grand Casino in Biloxi. She has lived in Biloxi for over 38 years, and grew up on the same street where her family now lives. Prior to Katrina, she and her sons were renting a family home from her mother. The home received eight feet of water during the storm. That house has been moved to another site across the street, where Myra’s brother will live in it after completing repairs. Myra’s new house is located on the existing property.
Myra's extended family is tight-knit. With her brother and his family living across the street, and her mother a block away, their family gathers regularly. Her house was designed to accommodate the large family with a spacious family room and a screened-in porch facing the street.
To get the building to a point that is manageable for short term unskilled volunteers, the construction managers of the East Biloxi Coordination Relief and Redevelopment Agency organized a blitz framing with several of the volunteer organizations in the area. The team of 60 volunteers were able to complete framing and roofing and install the windows and doors in two days.
