Gov. Haley Barbour says he will bring lawmakers back to Jackson to act on a tax break on modular housing, which is aimed at helping coast homeowners rebuild. The proposal died during a special session last week.

The proposal would have reduced the tax on modular housing from 7 percent to 3 percent, to bring it in line with taxes on standard-built homes and mobile homes. The bill died in a House committee.

Barbour has said that modular housing, built in large pieces then shipped to home sites and put together, could offer a more affordable alternative to other housing and a safer alternative to mobile homes to coastal residents.

Barbour told The Sun Herald newspaper that the proposed tax cut could save homeowners $4,000 to $6,000. He would not specify a date when he'd bring lawmakers back to Jackson, but said it probably won't be within the next two weeks.

House Speaker Billy McCoy, in a news release, said he plans to appoint a special subcommittee to take an extensive look at the housing situation on the Mississippi coast. He says that study will include "types of housing such as modular homes."