While we were in Bay St. Louis in April and May of 2006, we did encounter first hand some of the problems mentioned in this article. Building materials beyond the very basics were hard to come by, and expensive when found. And many out-of-work contractors converged on the Gulf area, some with questionable credentials or ethics.
Modular houses circumvent these obstacles and more. Because they can be assembled quickly, they require less on-site labor. Because they are fabricated in other states, the cost of materials is lower. And it may be easy to post them on the 18-foot stilts required by new flood zone rules in some areas.
The article also describes the basic reality of rebuilding. For example, Hurricane Katrina destroyed 70,000 dwelling in Mississippi alone; more than 30,000 families live in small FEMA trailers, which are similar to the fifth-wheel trailers used by vacationers. But the past 15 months have been anything but a vacation to those living in these cramped quarters.
Modular houses are also favored by relief organizations like Habitat for Humanity,, which can fabricate the houses in better-off areas where the volunteer workers are available.
Anecdotes from the article are located in Pass Christian (pronounced "Christy Ann"), located just across a small sound from Bay St. Louis, where Katrina first hit the coast. Many of the most destitute residents we helped were from Pass Christian. The article has lots of good information and I highly recommend it.
Note: I've found that sometimes New York Times articles require a password, or even a subscription after the article is more than a week or two old. In that case, sometimes you can search for the article's title and find an unlocked version to read. In this case, just search for the title Katrina Victims Find a Solution: Modular House.
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