No single-wides in Cordova, except for the government

[JacobG18]

Cordova Mayor Jack Scott is a truly sensitive man (read: sarcasm). After the April 27 severe storms and tornadoes swept across Alabama and destroyed neighborhoods and a decent chunk of Cordova, many people were left homeless. Scott, however, isn't doing much to help his citizens. Instead, Mr. Sensitivity along with members of the Cordova City Council are enforcing a 54-year-old ordinance that prohibits single-wide trailers in the town.

People whose houses were destroyed could qualify for single-wide trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but Scott and the council say no. Even temporarily. They do this even as the city's government offices, destroyed by the tornado, are housed in, yes, single-wide trailers supplied by FEMA. Scott apparently misses the hypocrisy in that.

The FEMA-supplied trailers used today aren't like the ones used after Hurricane Katrina or in earlier storms across the Gulf Coast. They are good-sized single-wides. They aren't permanent homes, though. They're intended to provide temporary housing until a storm survivor rebuilds his home. FEMA officials say it's good for people who lost their homes to live on their land while they are rebuilding their homes.

The hypersensitive Scott doesn't care. What's important now, for Cordova, is that single-wide trailers (except for government buildings) stay away.



http://blog.al.com/jkennedy/2011/05/joey_kennedy_no_single-wides_i.html

[MelissaWV]

Yep saw that last night.

People:

YAY Government is here to save us!!! FEMA trailers!!!

...

BOO Government is here to screw us!!! There's a ban on trailers!!!

[eduardo89]

I bet this story was cooked up to make FEMA look like the heroes.

[MelissaWV]

I bet this story was cooked up to make FEMA look like the heroes.

Nah, I could imagine making a local ordinance against FEMA trailers. He could have worded it better, however, stating that you couldn't be in a FEMA trailer as long as other adequate housing were available, or something similar. I hate the idea of FEMA trailers, but the notion of them being an "eyesore" in a city that's been flattened is ridiculous, particularly when the government there uses the same trailers. I would want the damned things out of my town ASAP, but not at the expense of having people camping out in rubble.

You deal with the hand that's there atm. Until raw materials can come in and volunteers can help put up shelters, etc., FEMA trailers will be part of their hand.