breath from the initial crisis of Hurricane Katrina,

emergency housing became a key question. There was a

desperate need for inexpensive and easy-to-build housing for

not only displaced and homeless residents, but also the

surge of relief workers and construction laborers.

More than a year later, the answer so far is largely FEMA

trailers for some residents, rental units at spiked costs

for others.

However, the idea of affordable, convenient, sustainable

and even attractive emergency housing is not dead. It's

just taken a while to become a reality.

Early this year, several designs for emergency housing

units began making headlines and heralded appearances at

conventions everywhere. And now the two most prominent

designs -- the Katrina Cottage and the NOLA Bungalow --

are about to become available to consumers.

The Katrina Cottage was pioneered by famed architect

Andres Duany and developed by designer Marianne Cusato of

Cusato Cottages.

"A Katrina Cottage is a dignified alternative to the

FEMA trailer. It is a small permanent house, which is safe,

affordable and can be assembled quickly," reads its

online brochure.

With its charming aesthetic, front porch and reverence

for local vernacular, the Katrina Cottage I made a splash at

its debut at the 2006 International Builders Show in

Orlando, Fla., and later took up permanent residence in

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