A large number of public officials, vendors, developers and other people involved in the housing industry or public housing from the 24-county 2nd Congressional District are expected to be in Vicksburg beginning Sunday for the Mississippi Regional Housing Summit running through Tuesday at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

“Right now, we’ve got 140 people registered for the summit,” city housing director Gertrude Young said. “We will probably have more register Sunday. You always have a lot of people register at the last minute.”

City officials said in July they anticipate about 400 people attending the summit, which will address issues involving funding and developing affordable housing for people in the 2nd District, and had sent letters seeking sponsors and vendors for the summit, and invitations have been sent to all elected officials in district.

The event is the first of its kind in the state.

“I think this is needed, and I believe that we will be able to show people how to find ideas and avenues to meet housing issues,” Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said. “This idea was suggested by Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss).”

Thompson and Edward Jennings, Region IV director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be the featured speakers, with Jennings speaking Monday and Thompson on Tuesday.

Programs planned for the summit include a presentation by the Prairieview A&M University Architecture Department on green home construction and a discussion on funding programs available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program.

The Mississippi Manufactured Homes Association will have three mobile homes on display across the street from the Convention Center in the parking lot adjacent to the Mississippi Hardware building, and summit participants will be able to tour the mobile homes during the event.

“What we’re doing is offering information and ideas to people and officials to help them find innovative ways to provide affordable housing in their areas,” Young said. “Affordable housing is a major need, especially in areas in the Delta where a lot of the housing is substandard. We want to show people what’s available in affordable housing and funding sources they can use.”

She said the summit will also address housing for veterans, adding, “They (the U.S.) will be releasing 32,000 veterans (from duty) in Mississippi, and people will have to find someplace where they can live. We will have to find affordable housing for them.”

Besides the city, Warren County Habitat for Humanity, Mountain of Faith Ministry, Mississippi Manufactured Housing Association, VCC and the Vicksburg Housing Authority are sponsoring the program.