The city council has adopted an ordinance that will allow people living in Hurricane Katrina cottages to buy their homes from the state and keep them in residential areas of Bay St. Louis.

Councilmen have been wrangling with the cottage issue for many months. Early on, some made it clear they did not like the small, shotgun-style homes, which originally were intended by the state as temporary shelter for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The ordinance adopted Tuesday gives cottage residents until Aug. 31 to obtain certificates of occupancy.