“It has come that time.” Mayor Flaggs pledges to tackle housing issues in the city

At the Board of Mayor and Alderman on Monday, Mayor Flaggs began by noting the great need in the community concerning housing conditions in Vicksburg and ultimately layed out the beginnings of a path to solutions.

“This weekend I had the opportunity to ride the whole city,” said Flaggs, who surveyed the area, noting the poor housing conditions in the city.

The need to bring in a consultant who could “recommend what we need to do going forward on our housing situation, not only for new houses and construction but also for dilapidated houses and everything” was suggested by Flaggs.

Additionally, Flaggs has requested an RFP, a document allowing construction managers to submit proposals for projects, in order to determine options and expertise available for the goal of housing improvement in the City.

Flaggs further informed the public about his upcoming meeting with all the code enforcers for the city to discuss the situation.

“To be honest with you, there’s some areas in this city that show a lot of concern, and we need to address them,” said Flaggs.

Flaggs has started to investigate federal grants under the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, stating, “It has come that time.” Flaggs further pledged to make housing development a priority over the next two years, pointing to the progress made so far.

“We’ve got one grant in by way of United Way to look at the Youth Development Center,” said Flaggs, referencing a project that the Board of Supervisors and Warren County School district are in favor of supporting.

According to Flaggs, this grant should be finalized in the next two weeks.

Flaggs concluded by connecting the youth center project to the Board’s ongoing goals of promoting good behavior and habits in our city’s youth.

“We can’t keep calling kids bad; we have to develop them in their weakness,” stated Flaggs.