Open thoughts to Meridian’s real estate community, land developers and owners of large land parcels within the city:

Our citizens are overwhelmed and outraged at the six out-of-state development companies trying to come into Meridian and develop low-income housing by taking advantage financially through the Katrina disaster.

We all are aware that Meridian is in need of more low-income housing, and we are all aware that Meridian has tried for years to get such developers to commit to tax credit housing. The problem? These very developers were limited, prior to Katrina, to building in what is mapped out as Meridian’s Qualified Census Zone, land in the central part of our town that is so in need of reconstruction and revitalization. Since they were limited in tax credit construction to those parts of town, the developers did not come.

Now what has happened? Katrina’s destruction resulted in our entire county becoming eligible for federal tax credit housing development, due to being declared a disaster zone by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Now, we have six large developers trying to compete for federal tax credit funding. The tragic thing about this is that not one development is planned to be built in our Qualified Census Zone. Here, we need attractive, adequate housing close to schools, businesses, public transportation and medical services in areas where the homes are vacant or in disrepair, or where are empty tracts of land.

Instead, these developers bought rights to properties in areas of our city not in need. What would happen if they succeed? The core part of Meridian would become an eyesore that none of us could be proud of. In addition, the tax base there would decrease even more. At the same time, the north sections of town, settled by single-dwelling/owner-occupied homes, would decrease significantly in tax base value, as pricing of homes would go down, simply by virtue of economics.

This is a double-edged sword that would significantly hurt Meridian, not help us revitalize our community. For our town to grow, it must be a place that boasts of vibrant and alive neighborhoods throughout — no matter the location.

One of the saddest realizations of all is the fact that these very out-of-state developers were not shown parcels of land in the Qualified Census Zone. Here, we as citizens should hold our very own responsible. Who? The very real estate agents, land developers and large-parcel land owners who live with us in Meridian.

They know very well the true intent of these tax credit incentives. They know that the intent of the grants is to restore, reconstruct and revitalize areas in need, both prior to and after Katrina. Yet, they chose to make the decision to profit financially and disregard trying to improve Meridian and the actual Katrina-affected parts of Mississippi. They have, in fact, turned on our town.

What can they do now? This process is not over. Developers have until 2008 to apply for tax credit housing. If these projects today do not succeed, more from out of state will come. Money is the name of the game. When the developers come again, our real estate agents and land brokers can take them to City Hall. Have Mayor John Robert Smith tour them around the areas of need, and encourage them to help our city, not hurt it.

If no land can be found to help inner Meridian, our businesses that deal in land holding should show these out-of-state people the interstate access to travel to South Mississippi. Those people without homes, or a place to live, deserve our best efforts to help.

It is time that all citizens of Meridian join together to better our town and our neighbors on the Coast. Personal profit for money does not always bring self-respect, or the respect of others. Hopefully, these next two years of tax credit development will see all of us working together to make Meridian and all of Mississippi a proud place to call our home.



Greg and Jane Swanson

Meridian