I wanted to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all of those who attended the 2nd annual Katrina Relief Summit that was held yesterday at the Beau Rivage. I heard many great comments about the work of MCMC and even some constructive criticism, which I gladly accept. I was especially proud when so many folks in the room stood at the end of my remarks to be recognized as employees under the MCMC project. Over two-thirds of the room (at least that how it looked to me) stood to be recognized, and I believe that illustrates the enormous impact that MCMC has had on the state as it moves forward with continued recovery efforts. You should all be proud of the work that you have done, even if that work seemed at times to have been overlooked.

I also wanted to announce to you that we have received the official notification that MCMC has been granted a ninety day no-cost extension which will allow us to continue to provide services to our clients through June 1st. There will be some program realignment taking place over the next couple of weeks so as to ensure that we are operating according to our program guidance, and to ensure that we are proceeding in a fiscally responsible manner. We anticipate that, as a result of the ongoing negotiations that are occurring between FEMA and HUD related to the DHAP extension, MCMC will continue to be engaged in discussions with our Federal and State partners with regard to how any housing benefit extension will impact our program. As issues are resolved, updates will be made available to our affiliates and we will do our best to keep you informed through our regular communications processes.

The granting of this extension, however brief it may seem, is a testament of the tremendous need that remains and also the level of dedication and attention to detail that you have been asked to maintain through your reporting and case management services delivery. I hope that you are proud to be a part of such an unprecedented program and we, as a staff, are thankful for your continued support and hard work.

Onward…….

Stephen