Cusato Cottages, LLC wants to house victims of Katrina in cute but functional little cottages. And the idea has traction on Capitol Hill.
According to the Jackson Clarion Ledger:
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., won approval of an amendment doubling to $1.2 billion the $600 million Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran set aside for a pilot program to build Katrina Cottages, tiny homes resistant to flooding and strong winds.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco have asked Congress to approve money for the cottages, which would replace thousands of Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers now housing hurricane victims.
The smallest cottage, a 308-square-foot unit, is estimated to cost about $35,000 to build, compared to roughly $75,000 FEMA spends to buy and deliver a trailer.
The cottages, built in the traditional Gulf Coast vernacular, can be placed on a lot while rebuilding of the main home is underway. When all is said and done, the family has gained a valuable guest house.