Shorty
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Member since 5/05 30390 total posts
Name:
really
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How do you feel about
Nassau and Suffolk's plan to house Katrina victims?
I mean, I think it's great that we're going to reach out and provide homes for these people (150 per county), but I'm not so sure I agree with Suffolk's plan to house them all in one place. I think Nassau has the right idea.
here's the article from Newsday.com
Long Island will house and educate up to 300 Hurricane Katrina evacuees, finding room for them in shelters, hotels and a hospital that closed yesterday, local officials announced.
"New York has always been a beacon of hope and a refuge to people from across the globe and New Yorkers welcome the victims of Hurricane Katrina with open arms," said Dennis Michalski, a spokesman for the New York State Emergency Management Office, in a statement.
He said the state planned to announce as early as today a "comprehensive plan" to accommodate the evacuees who have arrived or will arrive.
Each county has agreed to house 150 individuals for as long as 18 months, said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.
Levy said that in addition to New York City, federal and state emergency agencies asked the counties around the state late last week to help.
As of yesterday, 200,000 people were being sheltered in 14 states, said Butch Kinerney, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Eleven other states, including New York, have said they will accept people.
Preparing for evacuees:
Nassau and Suffolk governments are preparing for the Gulf Coast evacuees to arrive at Republic Airport in Farmingdale tomorrow or Friday, said Joseph Williams, Suffolk's commissioner of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services.
As plans developing late yesterday, details of exactly when they will come, how long they will stay and how much the housing and other services will cost were still up in the air. Levy said the counties would seek to be reimbursed by the federal government.
In Nassau, County Executive Thomas Suozzi said people would be placed throughout the county in 10 shelters and other locations, such as hotel rooms.
"If we all do our small part and share this burden equally, they'll be no major impact on this community," he said at a news conference on the steps of the County Executive Building in Mineola. Connie Lassandro, director of housing and homeless services for Nassau County, did not name the shelters to protect the privacy of the evacuees.
Suozzi said he would stop them from being concentrated in any one community in part so school districts would be better equipped to handle extra students.
In Suffolk, Levy said the county is seeking to house evacuees at Brunswick Hospital Center in Amityville, which yesterday announced it is closing more of its operations. How the hospital would be paid was unclear.
Dr. Amar Jit Singh, chief executive of Brunswick Hospital, said the hospital was reviewing what parts of the campus would be appropriate for housing people for more than a year. Because the general hospital and emergency department are closing, Singh said it might be possible to convert part of the main hospital building into housing.
Another option is to use vacant portions of the psychiatric hospital, called Brunswick Hall. Workers yesterday were polishing the floors of the vacant second story of one of the white brick buildings, which has small residential rooms with closets and a common space, as well as a kitchen and cafeteria area.
Amityville School Superintendent Brian De Sorbe yesterday said it was too soon to tell what impact the evacuees coming to Amityville would have on his district. "If it's one child, it's one thing," De Sorbe said. "If it's 101, it's another."
Working out issues:
Whether the district, which is operating under a contingency budget, would get additional assistance for taking in the students is among the issues that have yet to be worked out, said Tom Dunn, spokesman for the state Education Department.
Richard Mills, commissioner of the department, issued a Sept. 2 memorandum to superintendents of public schools and administrators of charter schools statewide, clarifying that victims of Katrina should be considered homeless to make it easier for them to be registered.
As of midday yesterday, state education officials said preliminary numbers showed 26 students who are Katrina victims enrolled in state schools. The bulk of the students, 14, were enrolled in New York City schools. Eight enrollments were on Long Island, including five in the Three Village School District.
Elected officials said New York was grateful for the outpouring of assistance after 9/11 and is eager to repay the gesture. "Now it's our turn to help people from the Gulf Coast," said Suffolk Legis. Elie Mystal (D-Amityville).
Staff writers Nedra Rhone and Lauren Terrazzano contributed to this story.
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Re: How do you feel about
It might be tough on the schools, then again if it's 150 people there won't be all that many kids.
I think as long as the arrangement will allow these people to live with some sense of comfort, dignity and privacy, it does not matter, that is most important. If it was more people I'd say they should be spread out more. But in this case, they may get comfort from each other.
edited for clarity.
Message edited 9/7/2005 11:04:13 AM.
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