Monday, December 12, 2011
#OccupyNOLA: Exodus House reports nearly all Duncan Plaza homeless now in temporary housing
Posted by Charles Maldonado on Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 9:23 AM
On Monday, December 5, one day before the Occupy NOLA encampment at Duncan Plaza would be evicted by the city, the New Orleans Police Department started transferring homeless residents to Exodus House, a non-profit service provider on Ursulines Avenue. Between Monday and Tuesday, 43 people were taken to the facility, reports Exodus House director Donald Wilkerson.
"It's probably not going to be a lot of housing. It's going to be a lot of services," like medical treatment and food stamps, Wilkerson said then. "Housing might be available for some people. That's the end goal. But we've got to get that other stuff out of the way."
However, Wilkerson, who called after press time for our print edition news story, gives us an update on his group's progress in placing the homeless from Duncan Plaza into some type of shelter.
"Mostly all the people, except eight, have been placed somewhere," Wilkerson says. By "somewhere," he means temporary shared living facilities in houses throughout the city.
"They have housing managers who live in these homes," who work with Exodus House to provide them food, medical care and other needs. Exodus House hasn't yet managed to get anyone into permanent housing, but the staff is working on it.
"We’re setting them up with service providers who can help them get set up in permanent housing," he says.
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Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
With all due respect to Donald Wilkerson of Exodus House, his claims of having provided "nearly all Duncan Plaza homeless" is greatly exaggerated. If this were so, I wouldn't have been encountering so many people in the downtown area, including in Duncan Plaza, who are reporting that their tents and warm bedding were destroyed and they're "back on the streets." This is what happens when there's a rush job to clear an area of homeless in New Orleans. Each time, just as after they cleared Duncan in 2007 and under the Pontchartrain Expressway, they claim "mission accomplished," without accounting for all those who fled the scene as soon as the word eviction is uttered, and those who were away for one to several days due to see about potential housing or jobs, incarcerated for panhandling or other petty crimes of impoverished circumstances, in the hospital, etc.
Had the city and the agencies who serve the homeless taken their time and not put all the homeless in high stress mode, they might have actually served the homeless rather than trying to put a feather in their cap or do what they believe is politically expedient. What the raid of Duncan Plaza ordered and executed by Mayor Landrieu and NOPD under the corrupt Ronal Serpas was illegal, inhuman, unnecessary, and disgraceful.
like
dislikeDelia, the only reason that there are people back at Duncan is because they refused services that were offered. They wanted things their way and did not wish to make any sacrifices for help. I would know as I now work with Donald and Exodus House. So if you do not know the entire story, please refrain from useless and disrespectful comments.
Robert Raymo
As a homeless person, I know what she said is true. If you weren't there when the buses were there to take you to Exodus House, you didn't get help. Talk to the homeless who are still out on the street if you want to know what goes on with us! Mary Mangan
I SAID THE 43 THAT STAYED WITH US ARE HOUSED I NEVER SAID THAT WE HOUSED ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE PARK.
ALSO, I WAS BRINGING PEOPLE IN MY CAR TO OUR PLACE. WHO MISSED THE BUS. MS. DELIA YOU CALLED BACK TUES NIGHT TO GET THE FEMALES WHO WERE LEFT AND WHEN I GOT THERE THEY DID NOT WANT GO. BEING HOMELESS MYSELF FOR 3 YRS IN THE NORTH, I UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS SO PLEASE REPORT THE TRUTH. EXODUS HOUSE HAS AN OPEN DOOR FOR ALL TO COME AND SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING. MR MALDONADO CAME TO EXODUS HOUSE AND WAS ABLE TO WALK AROUND FREELY
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