By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
khorner@dallasnews.com
More than 1,500 Hurricane Ike evacuees are still sleeping on cots at 14 area shelters despite a federal program that was supposed to transition them into hotels and motels.
Many cannot afford to move out of the shelters – despite lodging paid for by the federal government – because they have no money for food and other expenses. Others are having trouble getting approval for hotel rooms from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Although thousands of evacuees have made the move to hotels throughout North Texas, many of them are struggling after draining their bank accounts to pay for hotels and food following two hurricane evacuations within several weeks.
North Texas charities have been swamped with requests for food, gas cards and laundry assistance from evacuees at area hotels.
The city of Dallas, which has spent more than $800,000 sheltering Hurricane Ike evacuees, is trying to figure out how to help Gulf Coast residents who either cannot afford to leave a shelter or cannot qualify for FEMA's transitional housing assistance.
"It's a mess," said Kenny Shaw, director of Dallas' Office of Emergency Management. "FEMA needs to come out with a stronger program, in my opinion, and support these people or get them back home."
Some cannot get help because they were homeless in their hometowns; others are illegal immigrants, Mr. Shaw said. Another evacuee was told her renter's insurance should pay that bill, he said.
FEMA spokesman Dean Cushman acknowledged the financial dilemma many cash-strapped evacuees face.
"They're caught between a rock and a hard place," Mr. Cushman said. He said the agency has not provided cash assistance, as it did after Hurricane Katrina, because that disaster left people neck-deep in water with nothing but the clothes on their backs. He advised evacuees to seek help from social-service agencies.
As for evacuees who cannot qualify for assistance, Mr. Cushman said that FEMA needs an address to provide the help. He also said the agency cannot provide hotel rooms to illegal immigrants.
Dallas officials worry that some evacuees will return to a shelter so they can at least get free meals. More than 700 were still at the Dallas Convention Center shelter late in the week – even though some might qualify for hotel rooms – because it provides meals, activities for children, a phone bank, Internet access and a post office.
"The problem everybody's been telling me is, you still need gas and food," said Celethia Edwards of Beaumont, who stayed at the downtown shelter with her husband, five children and extended family. "People are having problems with living expenses. We said it's better to stay here."
Devora Knoxson of Galveston, who also evacuated to Dallas before Hurricane Rita three years ago, said she wanted to find a hotel, but she did not know how to get help.
"If I was in a hotel, at least I would have facilities to take a shower every day," she said.
No agency has an estimate of how many evacuees are staying in North Texas. But area charities have been busy serving large numbers seeking help.
Irving Cares, which usually serves 350 families a month, served nearly 300 families in the last week, mostly people in area hotels.
The charity has provided food that doesn't need to be cooked, said Teddie Story, the agency's executive director. Evacuees also have asked for help with laundry and gasoline, things the charity does not typically provide, she said.
"We're doing what we can to help them," Ms. Story said.
Mia Paul of Port Arthur, Texas, said she has spent all her money paying for food and other expenses.
"When we go home, we don't know how we are going to pay the bills," said Ms. Paul, who is staying at an Irving La Quinta Inn & Suites with extended family.
Joe and Ann Fondren and their 20-year-old son, Chase, of Nederland, Texas, said they were eating one meal a day after paying for several hotel nights. They recently moved to a La Quinta Inn & Suites in Irving, where they can get an additional meal because the hotel provides breakfast.
"We're happy to be here and to be well taken care of," Mr. Fondren said.
While some evacuees cannot wait to go home, the Fondrens were wary after evacuating two hurricanes this month and Hurricane Rita.
"We're tired of evacuating the storms," Joe Fondren said. "We're thinking of moving here."
Faced with staying in Dallas possibly through mid-October, many evacuees said they're trying to make the best of it.
"God has blessed us to be able to have our lives," said Ms. Edwards of Beaumont. "I know we're going through adversity; we'll rise above it if we keep a positive outlook."
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