Five Years After Katrina, Homeless Women in Biloxi Have No Shelter

There’s no question that there have been many great strides in the five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. In Biloxi, Miss., however, one of the most vulnerable groups — homeless women — find themselves in an precarious situation.

Although there is a shelter for men and a domestic abuse shelter for women in the area, there is no shelter strictly for women who need a place to spend the night. Prior to Katrina, women had two options: a shelter in nearby Gulfport, Miss. or a local Methodist mission. Both are no longer open, leaving homeless women without a safe place to stay.

“Most just sleep wherever they can,” says James Crowell, the president of the Biloxi branch of the NAACP. “Some are staying in the woods or cars.”

There are still places to go to to get food, he says, but adds, “essentially, there’s no housing for homeless people around here.”

The homeless population in the area ballooned immediately after Katrina. Crowell notes that Katrina — and more recently the gulf oil spill — drove up the homeless population, as many people came to the area after the events in search of temporary jobs to rebuilt the area, but soon found themselves without roofs over their heads. Moreover, Biloxi’s famous casinos draw many to the area hoping to strike it rich, only to run out of money after a week or so, he says. 

Several groups have discussed opening a shelter for women, Crowell says, but nothing has come to fruition yet. 

Kristi Eaton is a staff writer for Campus Progress. She graduated from Arizone State University in 2008.