Posted on 09/14/2005 9:14:13 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
Lubbock's Hurricane Katrina shelter will close today, a week and a half after 408 evacuees from New Orleans touched down in the Hub City.
The American Red Cross and city of Lubbock will close the shelter in a hangar at the Reese Technology Center at noon today.
About 20 people were still at the Reese Center on Tuesday night.
Most of the shelter's residents have been sent to live with friends or family or set up in apartments in Lubbock. About three or four may be transferred to the Salvation Army shelter.
"We want to get folks into as normal a routine as they possibly can," said local Red Cross Chairman Greg Bruce.
Bruce said the Red Cross will maintain a stable of volunteers to help the evacuees transition into life in Lubbock.
But that transition may not be easy. Lubbock is a far different city from New Orleans, which has a larger public transportation system and cultural base.
"They're having to put their lives together in a very short period of time," said Danette Castle, chief executive officer of Lubbock Regional Mental Health Mental Retardation.
Bruce said some of the evacuees didn't want to leave the shelter Tuesday.
Others were dismayed by their apartment assignments.
Alfred Santiago said the apartment complex to which he was assigned was not up to his standards.
"I didn't come from that. I won't go to that," he said. "I bet (city officials) couldn't live in one of those places."
Officials were able to place him in another complex, more to his liking.
And Arthur Martin said he had an apartment on Monday that he was supposed to move into on Tuesday. But when it came time to move in, he said he was told the apartment wasn't available.
"I had an address, and they took it from me," he said, adding that he is waiting to get an apartment to take advantage of one of several job opportunities he has lined up.
"I can't very well work out of this place," he said, pointing to the shelter.
Officials said that no apartments were taken from evacuees but that the hurricane victims mistook apartment applications for apartment assignments.
Assistant City Manager Quincy White said city code enforcement personnel helped move evacuees into their apartments to assure they were in livable conditions.
Evacuees are being housed in about 30 apartment complexes throughout the city.
White said the city tried to spread the hurricane victims throughout the city and not house them in just one or two complexes.
"We don't want to create a little New Orleans," he said.
Bruce said every evacuee who wants an apartment will get one.
The city also has furniture lined up for evacuees. White said it is currently housed in a warehouse and that moving crews will start delivering it later this week.
I guess this ungrateful s.o.b. never heard that catchy little phrase about looking a gift horse in the mouth! If the taxpayer funded free apartment they're giving isn't good enough they ought to be told to take it or leave it!
Can you imagine the people of Lubbock putting up with what passes as society in New Orleans?
""We want to get folks into as normal a routine as they possibly can,"
You know.... Looting, rape, murder... Things like that.
That is not fair..We can't blame all of these evacuees for the lawlessness of some.
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