Tour the Mississippi cottage village 'Cottages at Oak Park' with us

The Cottages at Oak Park in Ocean Springs, Miss., opened its doors for business on Aug. 11, 2011. According to Gulf Live, the community consists of 30 cottages-style homes that can have one, two or three bedrooms. Springing up in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, these homes were built, as Dial said, "[as] green, affordable housing with a strong hurricane resistance."

This first community has been such a success that according to Facebook, a second one was slated to open in April 2012. Providing affordable options in places that people want to live in the aftermath of a disaster is the goal behind this company's designs. Ingenuity in design, engineering and financing have all come together to create this village. 

The Cottages states that the development is a joint effort between the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and its Eco-Cottage Grant Program, Mercy Housing and Human Development, Mississippi Gulf Coast Renaissance Corp., and a group of Mississippi entrepreneurs.  This venture is one of the few effective efforts between private, non-profit and public sector industries.

Oak Park and a second development are hoped to act "as models for expanding choices for safe, appealing, affordable housing close to where people work, shop, go to school, and entertain themselves." The project was designed to give an alternative for rebuilding after a disaster. 

Since the cottages are within walking distance of Ocean Springs, Cottages states that many people may not need a car. The homes were built with hurricane safety in mind, so the residents don't have to fear if another one should hit the area. 

If you are considering renting a cottage, an application can be filled out online. A one bedroom, one bathroom cottage rents for $600 a month; a two bedroom, one bathroom starts at $800 a month; a two bedroom, two bathroom rents for $950 per month; three bedrooms with one bathroom is $900 a month; and three bedrooms with two bathrooms is $1200 a month.

The community at Ocean Springs has been a success. The undertaking between these companies has forged a new path in the forest of construction, and it appears to be a path worth following.