WASHINGTON - January 24 - On Saturday, January 27, the first environmentally-friendly modular home in the historic African American community of North Gulfport, Mississippi will be unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. This special ceremony will occur at 8208 Ohio Street and will be followed by a tour of the model home and a block party. The event will showcase one of the most innovative solutions yet proposed to the housing crisis gripping the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.

“Housing is vital to preserving the work force, history, and cultural heritage of the Gulf Coast. The unveiling of the modular green house in North Gulfport represents a significant step towards restoring this unique and valuable community in a way that is both healthy and affordable,” said Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.

The construction of this prototype house marks the culmination of years of work by the Lawyers' Committee, North Gulfport Community Land Trust, and Unity Homes. The North Gulfport Community Land Trust was organized recently to purchase land for the development of affordable housing. Unity Homes is working to establish a local factory that will produce environmentally friendly, affordable housing using modular construction techniques. The Lawyers' Committee has worked to establish both of these organizations as independent nonprofits and has facilitated their collaboration in this project.


The Lawyers' Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to provide legal services to address racial discrimination.

For more information on the Lawyers' Committee, visit us at www.lawyerscommittee.org

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