Nearly two weeks after opening the Gentilly facility, the unhoused moved into the warehouse still can’t access much of their personal belongings, including identification, cash cards and other needed items. And, according to Harris, only two people have been moved into permanent housing.
“I’m encouraged to see progress with the heat and care in the development of the state-run transitional site, but I’m concerned by the lack of results so far,” Harris told Gambit in a statement. “In two weeks, only two individuals have been housed, and it’s only now that some caseworker support and wraparound services are being offered.”
Harris, who has become the council’s point person on unhoused issues, visited the state-run “transition center” on Tuesday, following a week’s time in which the state refused to give her updates on the situation or include her in update calls with other officials.
It does appear that some of the initial problems with the facility — notably a lack of sufficient heat, running water and a functioning kitchen — have been addressed.
More background from NPR (archived)
STEPHAN BISAHA, BYLINE: Before they were broken up, these encampments were expansive.
...
... What's left includes abandoned clothes, a walker and a deflated air mattress, all under signs that read no encampments. The governor's office set up a transitional center about 6 miles away for people to stay at instead. It's a modified warehouse with about 200 beds, hot meals and heating. It's planned to be open for two months and paid for with millions in state dollars. Going there is supposed to be voluntary, but Angela Owczarek with the homeless advocacy group No Harm (ph) says some people were told they'd be arrested if they didn't.
ANGELA OWCZAREK: And they were separated from their belongings. People's belongings were brought separately from them, and many people have not yet been able to access their belongings again.
"transition center"... in Europe, they used to call them concentration centers