Nell Allen Rogers

Graveside memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

Nell Rogers was the Housing Program Manager for the Disaster Recovery Unit of the Community Incentives Division of the Mississippi Development Authority, a position she held since 2008. In this role, she had primary responsibility and oversight over the State of Mississippi’s long-term housing recovery following major disasters using Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds.

Following Hurricane Katrina, she helped plan and then manage the $207.9 million “Small Rental Assistance Program,” which produced over 3,509 rental units on the Gulf Coast. She also helped design and manage the $180.6 million “Neighborhood Home Program” aimed at providing home repairs or reconstruction for low- to moderate-income residents, a program which successfully provided assistance to some 4645 hurricane damaged homes, with 78% of that going to extremely low-income households and most going to elderly and disabled citizens. At the time of her death, she was overseeing the “Harrison County Roof Repair and Retrofit Program,” which provides new hurricane resistant roofs for low-income citizens impacted by Hurricane Zeta. She was a nationally recognized expert in long-term disaster housing recovery, speaking at national U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conferences and being sought out by other states for her insights and advice.

Prior to joining the Mississippi Development Authority, Nell served in the administration of Tribal Chief Phillip Martin of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. In her position as a Planner, she implemented federal and Tribal public administration and policy, community development, health care, education, construction, and infrastructure projects as directed by the Office of the Tribal Chief.

Nell held Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees from Mississippi State University.

Survivors include: brother, Scott Allen; niece, Amanda Kai Allen; nephew Matt Allen (Deona); 2 grand nieces, and a host of friends and loved ones.

Family requests in lieu of flowers all memorials be made to City of Philadelphia, Ms. Animal Shelter.