From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success
As I’ve been discussing over the last couple of months, some builders have responded to the housing crises with some pretty creative ideas.
Out of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster came "The Katrina Cottage" -- a small, sturdy, single-family house that is expandable and can be built in a few weeks. For many home buyers, these specifications fit like a glove.
The first of these bare-bone homes was designed by New York architect Marianne Cusato, who was looking to develop housing for people left homeless by Katrina.
Then, last year, Cusato partnered with home improvement retailer Lowe's to sell designs for the cottages at the home improvement retailer's U.S. Gulf stores.
The original Katrina Cottage (Katrina Cottage I) is a small, sturdy, dignified house that can be delivered at the cost of a FEMA trailer. It arose as a solution for post-disaster housing during the
Mississippi Renewal Forum, which took place in Biloxi, Mississippi in October 2006, six weeks after Hurricane Katrina. Among the hundred and seventy participants, there were a dozen architects present who designed a series of small houses, making the plans available to the people of Mississippi.
Several months later, when a substantial number of the FEMA trailers had been installed, it became apparent that the cost was exceeding $70,000 per unit and that these trailers were quasi-permanent. The Katrina Cottage Committee was formed to provide design that would make better use of this funding for the current housing needs after Hurricane Katrina and for future disasters.
The State of Mississippi, through the Governor's Office for Recovery & Renewal, took the initiative to apply for a substantial grant for this purpose. This became a reality with a recently approved pilot program for all five Gulf states, which allocates $400 million dollars for the pursuit of designs and technology for future hurricanes. In addition to this program, President Bush recently signed the Baker Bill, which will allow FEMA to provide permanent structures after future disasters.
