A rendering of a Katrina Cottage. (Source: Louisiana Speaks)

A Katrina Cottage is conceived to be a small, yet permanent house to be built and installed on-site for the same price as a FEMA trailer.

In contrast to the trailers used by FEMA, Katrina Cottages may remain on-site as safe, permanent dwellings that can be expanded into full-sized houses. These cottages are a realistic first step towards the solution of the housing crisis.

Katrina Cottages can be built by any contractor from any suitable material, “stick built” on-site or constructed from panels manufactured elsewhere. They must meet the tough standards of Louisiana’s new residential building code (based on the International Residential Code), including meeting the minimum elevation for flood protection.