Does anyone want to purchase a “used” FEMA trailer?

According to the NY Times, “Anyone in the country can buy these if they want to,” said R. David Paulison of FEMA.  The Times said that the government auctions off about 800 used trailers a week, with most selling for $500 to $600.

In March of 2008, those currently residing in the trailer will be able to purchase these homes made popular by Katrina with the payment of $50 per month which payment amount is expected to escalate.

However, the key for many of the Katrina residents is to get away from the trailers which many feel are degrading.  The delivery of the trailers were incredibly slow in their deployment and are an eyesore to communities especially given that much nicer hurricane cottages have become available in Mississippi, rather than in Louisiana who suffered many times more damage.

Meanwhile the much maligned Louisiana Road Home program has reached over 10,000 closings which is a major milestone considering the length of time it took for the federal government to get a long-term housing program off of the ground.  Louisiana had initially supported a bill called the Baker Bill named after Richard Baker, a Republican Congressman from Baton Rouge .  However, the bill did not meet the pleasure of President Bush leaving Louisiana to scramble as the media called for the state and the city to get its act together.

Complicating matters, last month, HUD, which for over a year had all the documents to the Road Home rules and regulations , suddenly and amazingly told Louisiana that its policy were inconsistent with the rules of the federal government. 

Recently, however, Alphonso Jackson the Secretary of HUD congratulated Louisiana for reaching the Katrina housing milestone of 10,000 and also acknowledged that the Blanco administration has since followed the rules which according to HUD is why the closings have been fast-forwarded and increased.  Yet, in his press release, Jackson failed to mention the reasons it messed up on its own oversight of the Road Home program.

Specifically, Jackson has never mentioned the reasons that his Office failed to educate Louisiana concerning the variance of its housing program and the HUD rules.

Still, despite the incredible slowness and negligence of the federal agencies in failing to issue trailers and failing to realize or acknowledge the variance in the state and federal rules, the many victims of Katrina and others have an opportunity to buy the white Katrina home for a low price. 

Given that the federal government has failed to address sustainable levee systems with Category 5 levee protection, those in New Orleans and its environs are victims of the next bad storm that exceed Category 3 power.  This lack of protection is worse due to the depletion of the Louisiana coast which would normally act as a buffer to a very strong hurricane. 

Which is why the FEMA trailers might be a good buy for those individuals who made them their homes when those white boxes became available months after Katrina struck. 

Which also is a good reason that non-Katrina and Rita victims, (even those living in “elsewhere USA” might consider a purchase of these white houses on wheels).  After all, they might come in handy if a nasty one  should strike those communities.  They would serve as a buffer against unimaginable federal government post-disaster negligence.