A Mississippi Cottage might be the next best thing to a real home for thousands of Coast residents.

The cottages, which come in one-, two- and three-bedroom models, are being used by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to replace the cramped travel trailers that were issued to many Coast residents who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina.

Since the Federal Emergency Management Agency began wheeling the tiny trailers into Mississippi after the Aug. 29, 2005 storm, there have been problems.

Now, under the Mississippi Alternative Housing Pilot Program, residents who’ve been living in travel trailers can trade up to a more spacious Mississippi Cottage.

The main reason for the program, said Mike Womack, executive director of MEMA, is to provide more durable and permanent housing in the event of another hurricane. The Mississippi Cottages are rated to withstand winds of up to 150 mph, something the mundane travel trailers can’t do. The cottages are also all electric as opposed to the trailers, which used propane for some appliances.

Cities in Jackson County, and along the Coast, should be welcoming the cottages as a more appealing solution to group housing sites crammed full of travel trailers. Those who’ve been accepted into the alternative housing program should also be pleased with their sturdier construction and more accommodating living space.

Yet, some questions remain as to how many cottages will be allowed in Jackson County. MEMA claims that about 4,000 Coast residents have been accepted into the pilot program. Yet, only 43 Mississippi Cottages have been permitted in the county -- 10 in the unincorporated county, nine in Pascagoula, one in Ocean Springs, 16 in Moss Point and seven in Gautier.

If the goal is to banish FEMA travel trailers in each city’s jurisdiction, then officials need to have a backup plan in place to house the hundreds, if not thousands, who still cannot find adequate housing.

That seems to be the role of the Mississippi Alternative Housing Program, based on its criteria for applying for a Mississippi Cottage.

And if that is the case, then Jackson County and its four cities need to re-examine their restrictions on Mississippi Cottages.

— The (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press