(The Center Square) − Two decades after Hurricane Katrina, the rows of pastel “Katrina Cottages” scattered across Louisiana still stand as reminders of both government ambition and bureaucratic missteps.
In 2006, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded Louisiana nearly $75 million to build more durable alternatives to the infamous FEMA trailers that became a symbol of post-storm misery. The program, part of FEMA’s $400 million Alternative Housing Pilot Program, aimed to provide hurricane survivors with safe, elevated cottages equipped with utilities for permanent living.
The cottages – ranging from 612 to 1,112 square feet – cost taxpayers an average of $145,216 each, not including land and infrastructure. In total, 461 were built in the Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and New Orleans areas…