Cottages May Be No Safer Than [FEMA] Trailers 
The Sierra Club recently tested five "Katrina cottages" being used in Mississippi and found all to contain higher levels of formaldehyde than is recommended for long-term exposure by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Normal levels of indoor formaldehyde run between 10-20 parts per billion but three of the five cottages contained over 100 parts per billion. This level is even higher than the 77 parts per billion average tested in the 516 trailers this year by the CDC.
While the larger floorplan and windows should help dissipate the gas, a Mississippi news station found faulty ventilation designs in some cottages.
Despite respiratory health complaints and a pending lawsuit with over 17,000 plaintiffs, FEMA officials are still considering trailers to be a viable option if rentals and hotels cannot accommodate displaced populations.
It is unacceptable that in the third hurricane season after Katrina, FEMA cannot guarantee a supply of safe and secure alternative housing following a major crisis. The continued use of older trailers and the possible risks posed by cottages puts already marginalized hurricane victims in even greater danger. Experts propose that pre-contracting of engineer-approved designs could reduce many of these problems. Since we spent $2.7 billion on post-Katrina housing structures couldn't we ask for better return on our tax dollars and a little peace-of-mind for disaster recovery?
The Secretary of Homeland Security has indicated that the federal government is prepared for hurricane season. However, safe and adequate emergency housing is a vital element of being "prepared" for any disaster, and the federal government is responsible for providing emergency housing to the extent that state, local and tribal governments are unable to meet demand. Based on the continuing problems with federally-funded housing for survivors of the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the Disaster Accountability Project finds the federal government NOT prepared for hurricane season.
KEYWORDS: Katrina, cottages, disaster, housing, FEMA, trailers, formaldehyde, Sierra Club, DHS, Disaster Accountability Project
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