They've been tough to build, thanks to a market skewed towards suburban-style houses via tax, infrastructure, mortgage, and land value subsidies, says Ben Brown. But six years after the storm, Katrina Cottages offer some hard-won solutions.
Ben Brown notes, "After disasters like Katrina, the spring floods and the recent killer tornadoes, replacement housing needs are severe. The push to immediately get people into some sort of shelter can conflict with another post-disaster hope, to build back better than ever. Katrina Cottages were conceived during the 2005 Forum in Biloxi to provide an alternative to FEMA cottages, offering emergency housing designed and built to transition to permanent dwellings. More importantly, from the "building back better than ever" perspective, the cottages could seed new neighborhoods of safe, appealing and affordable housing.
"Even when there were billions of dollars dedicated to affordable housing from the feds, the results - with the exception of programs like Hope VI - have been unpopular and costly to manage. Now, budget cuts are sure to restrict public sector investments even more."
Thanks to Hazel Borys
Read the full story: Six Years Later: Katrina Cottages take hold
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