Mississippi Disgrace: Balch Disburses Less than a Third of Federal Rental Assistance

Demonstrating that contractual cronyism appears to harm the public, Balch & Bingham, the Pimps of Mississippi, who received a multi-million dollar, no-bid contract to help disburse $186 million in rental assistance has only disbursed 32 percent according to new data published by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

In comparison, Harrison County in Mississippi has disbursed 98 percent of all resources as of October 31, 2021.

What a disgrace!

Balch, which evicted a Habitat for Humanity Resident at the height of the pandemic, is known to represent apartment landlords and boasts of their collection practices on their website.

A national investigative report in The Washington Post in September showed that the embattled law firm had reaped millions in fees from the State of Mississippi while hardly disbursing resources to tenants in need, many who are people of color.

The data from Treasury shows that Balch has foot-dragged dispursements and a forensic audit would be appropriate at this time.