When ISC began working with Moss Point, Mississippi residents in 2005, we knew that it was just one of many communities along the Gulf Coast grappling with rebuilding in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The hurricanes laid bare many issues with which the communities had long been struggling, and many are realizing that rebuilding with sustainability in mind will help them find creative solutions. Some communities, for example, recognize that their survival may rest on their ability to make the case that wetlands restoration will not only preserve natural habitats for migrating birds and other species, but protect inland areas from storm surges and hurricanes.
In response, ISC launched the Gulf Coast Sustainable Communities Network that connects coastal communities to one another, helping them take practical steps to make housing more affordable, create economic opportunities, foster a healthier environment and mitigate the impacts of climate change—to make informed choices about their future.
The network's growing geographic reach extends from Beaumont, Texas in the west to Mobile, Alabama in the east—an area covering a distance of approximately 400 miles of coast line and representing nearly 750,000 residents. There are now 28 community organizations from 12 distinct communities in all four states that are actively participating in the network. These organizations primarily serve the most disadvantaged communities and populations within the region. Click here for our fact sheet on the Sustainable Communities Network.
Local advocates and organizations are transforming New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward into a model for Gulf Coast communities looking to make themselves stronger than they were before Hurricane Katrina. ISC's Gulf Coast Sustainable Communities Network gathered there for its third meeting in October 2009.
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Like its neighbors along the Gulf Coast, the city of Moss Point, Mississippi suffered tremendous devastation during Hurricane Katrina. Today, ISC is helping city officials become stronger leaders, a fledgling nonprofit grow to better serve its community, and the city's poorest neighborhoods—severely flooded by Katrina—engage in the rebuilding process.
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FOCUS, a new community organization in Moss Point plays the critical role of uniting the community and connecting citizens to one another. Their vision? A resilient Moss Point that can thrive in the face of future challenges.
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