Housing Authority expands and makes changes

NEW LOCATION: Picayune Housing Authority has a new location and is using the former location to add handicapped accessible units. Jodi Marze | Picayune Item

NEW LOCATION: Picayune Housing Authority has a new location and is using the former location to add handicapped accessible units.
Jodi Marze | Picayune Item

The Picayune Housing Authority, under the leadership of Mary E. Davis, is making big changes and expanding.

The Authority recently moved from its location at 1511 Seventh Ave. to its location at 821 Sixth Ave.

Davis announced that the former location will be demolished and two family housing units will be built which are Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards units.

The new units will be handicapped accessible and help the housing authority meet their funding quota, Davis said.

The new units will be under contract for October 1 of this year or they will lose the funding, she said.

Changes have taken place on other properties are the Authority manages, such as The Pines.

The Pines is commonly misperceived as an assisted living facility because of its on-site manager security and emergency services systems, which include pull cords installed in the bathrooms and bedrooms.

Davis said the pull cords were removed because the facility is truly a multi-family living facility and the on-site manager position was cut due to drastic reductions in Housing and Urban Development funding over the past consecutive three years.

Administrative Assistant Gloria Necaise said the fire alarm in The Pines was still connected to emergency services even though fire alarms within other Housing Authority units were not.

Another change for The Pines residents includes new exterior unit doors equipped with carbon locks.

Davis said the new locks are more secure than previous locks. In addition, two housing officers are assigned 12-hour-shifts, providing another layer of security.

Davis addressed the rumors that residents are not allowed to hang pictures or keep houseplants.

She said the rules restrict nails in the walls, but sticky adhesive is an approved alternative. She said this regulation keeps expenses down when someone moves out.

On a budget that is already stretched, filling nail holes can be expensive, and every little bit helps, Davis said.

Houseplants are allowed in the homes, but Davis said a recent incident with a resident growing his entire spring garden using light bulbs inside his home, forced them to take action.

“There was humidity in the dwelling and it was leading to deplorable conditions. These are homes and not meant to me indoor farms,” she said.

Another resident that Necaise recalls, had their entire front porch crammed with plants, with no space to walk through.

“When something becomes a potential hazard in an emergency situation we sometimes have to protect people from themselves,” Necaise said. “If there had been a fire in that home, the people inside could have been harmed because there was a blocked entrance due to those plants.”

Davis said that typical household plants in proper drainage containers are perfectly fine.

Davis said they plan on holding an open house at their new location, once the personnel get settled.

 

 

SportsPlus

News

Picayune Names U.S. Army Sergeant Sidney L. Worthy as 2024 Veteran of the Year

News

Poplarville Board of Aldermen Approves TA Truck Stop Development

News

Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office Reports Numerous DUI-Related Arrests

Breaking News

2024 Pearl River County General Election

News

Pearl River County Board Approves Radio Purchase for Sheriff’s Office

News

Tropical Storm Rafael Soaks Jamaica, Expected to Strengthen Before Entering Gulf of Mexico

News

MSU South Mississippi Branch Display Garden Wins First Place in Landscape Design Challenge

News

Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office K9s to Receive Donated Body Armor

News

Picayune to Honor Veterans with Full Day of Events on Nov. 11

News

Pearl River Central Middle School Hosts Demonstration from Sheriff’s K-9 Unit

News

Pearl River Man Convicted of Sexually Abusing Young Girl

News

Picayune Police, Perry County Deputies Enhance Firearm Skills with Specialized Training

News

Foiled Lumber Theft Leads to Arrests in Pearl River County

News

Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Hosts Quarterly Awards, Honors Deputies and Citizens for Outstanding Service

News

Krewe of the Pearl Crowns New King and Queen for 2024-2025

News

CWD educational session headlines MDWFP commission meeting

News

Luxus Health and Wellness Hosts Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

News

Pearl River County Board of Supervisors Approves Grants for Law Enforcement, Parks, and Public Safety

News

U.S. Attorney’s Office to Oversee Election Integrity in Southern Mississippi for 2024 General Election

News

Kaitlyn Molinere Promoted to Picayune Memorial Library Branch Manager

News

Picayune Police and Partner Agencies Conduct Patrols, Make Multiple Arrests

News

Pearl River Central High School Community Garden Receives Support from Master Gardeners, Home Depot

News

Captain Rhonda Johnson Graduates from Certified Investigators Program

News

Lori Cossitt Recognized at City Council for Ms. Mississippi Senior Title