Mobile Home Loans

Hurricane Katrina victims have discovered a downside to mobile homes. As there was a huge loss of land and property during that disastrous period of 2005, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for immediate relief provided hurricane victims with mobile homes. While in the beginning it might have seemed like a good idea to opt for these mobile homes, a recent discovery made suggests otherwise.

In Atlanta, the CDC or U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has discovered a high level of formaldehyde in these mobile homes and trailers. This news spells ill as formaldehyde which is a popular preservative and used extensively in construction materials is also carcinogenic and can cause respiratory problems. While the FEMA no longer provides these mobile homes, they are still in use by many victims. 

The CDC was asked by the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory(California) to analyze formaldehyde concentrations in trailers especially emissions from particular parts of each trailer, such as floors, walls , ceilings, cabinets and tables etc. The test was conducted on four never-been used mobile homes that were provided by FEMA. The test results showed that the four mobile homes emitted 173-266 micrograms of formaldehyde fumes per meter per hour in the morning hours. The emission increased to 257-347 micrograms per meter per hour in the afternoon as a result of increase in temperature.

The CDC has asked the FEMA to employ different building materials in order to produce emergency housing. Nearly 15000 people who were displaced during hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005 are still living in these mobile homes.