[StBernard] Hurricane homes pleasing but illegal

[Westley Annis]

And the obvious fix is a **major** overhaul of the Stafford Act by Congress.

Jim
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	Hurricane homes pleasing but illegal
	CHALMETTE, La., March 23 (UPI) -- While Katrina Cottage II is seen
as a
	cheaper, safer and more permanent alternative to trailers for
hurricane
	victims, it is prohibited by current law. 
	
	The cottage, designed for Katrina victims in Mississippi, was
showcased in
	Chalmette, La., and got some early rave reviews from storm victims.
It
	sleeps four and can be expanded into a full-size permanent home. 
	
	The roughly 400- to 750-square-foot cottages reportedly can be set
up in
	days for less than $60,000, compared to the 23- to 28-square-foot
temporary
	trailers that the Federal Emergency Management Agency spends about
$75,000
	to deliver and install, the Baton Rouge Advocate said. 
	
	However, the structures are not legal under the 1974 Stafford Act --
which
	governs the disaster assistance FEMA offers and prevents the agency
from
	spending money on permanent residential construction. 
	
	Flood victims and the Mississippi governor's office are among those
lobbying
	FEMA to replace temporary travel trailers with Katrina Cottages.
	
	
	
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