OK…well…then.  You seem to be very angry and that certainly was not my intention. Sorry to have bothered you. Good luck.

It sounds like you are saying to abandon the area. Housing is few and far between for those who stay. When I checked today, there was ONE page of apartment rentals in Biloxi. What does that say about availability?  Where would you want a family of four to live? There are some trailers. Then again, in bad weather, you’d better have another option.
If you do not have adequate insurance to pay off your mortgage, how on earth would you made double payments? Are you saying you believe people should be able to do that?  Realistic situation is that most people spend up to about 50% of their income on living expenses.  On top of making all those payments on obligations, these people had to replace the little items that were not covered either.

Thanks for the insight, southfan.
Sorry to hear about your situation and your parents. Like I said, I did not intend to offend anyone, so, again, I apologize if I seemed insensitive. Your post brought to light a few things that I now understand a little better! You mentioned that $750 was not enough to rent a home in the area, and I believe you. Are there any types of apartments in the area? (I am not that familiar with Biloxi) You mentioned that most people in Biloxi live paycheck to paycheck…I completely understand that…most of us do. I guess it all boils down to what you make of what you have. My wife and I have made a lot of sacrafices and adjustments to provide a contingency plan for emergencies. It wouldn’t pay off our mortgage, but it would provide enough income to get us back on our feet and make a fresh start. Everybody’s situation is different though. Have you considered moving or perhaps a change of employment? (not sure if that is feasible, I was just asking)

In Biloxi, MS the average family income before Katrina was $38K. If you figure your weekly income as a base for how much you should pay per month for an apartment or house, that’s about $750. That’s not enough to rent a home in the area. If you owned a home and worked in the area pre-Katrina, you more than likely lost some work income due to the devastation. So many of us live pay check to pay check. Many people did not have insurance to cover flood. They were told they did not need it, I was told I would not need it. How much do you owe on your home and how would you both pay off that mortgage and afford to re-build or rent another place today? My parents lost their home, had both flood and hurricane insurance. It has not covered the cost to pay for the true value of the home nor replace it in today’s market. The other issue is that with inflated cost of lumber and a true lack of labor in the area, there is no way to re-build even if you had the money.

Okay…
I just have to make a few comments here and maybe ask a question or two. I will try to keep an open mind and hopefully I will not offend anyone. (I will apologize in advance) Katrina made landfall in 2005…and it is 2008…and there are still people living in FEMA trailers? I understand that there are some people that truly do not have the means to rebuild or move into another dwelling…but don’t you think that a large majority of these people could find a way? As for these trailers, well, I am not sure if they were meant to be used as a permanant dwelling or residence. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like they were meant for more of a temporary soultion. Perhaps I am looking at this wrong, and please, someone tell me if I am, but if I was given a free place to live, I don’t think I would have the audacity to complain about it. I would simply try to come up with another living solution. I do realize that some people truly are sick from living in these trailers.