By Catherine Cuellar, KERA Reporter
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Dallas, TX –
Two years ago, Reunion Arena and the Dallas Convention Center became emergency shelters for tens of thousands Hurricane Katrina evacuees arriving hourly from the Gulf Coast. Many remain in north Texas. KERA's Catherine Cuellar reports some are making progress, while others still need help.
Catherine Cuellar, KERA reporter: Joy is back in Katrina survivor David Sterling's life. Joy was Sterling's New Orleans girlfriend two years ago, and she was out of town the weekend the storm hit. When Sterling and his sons evacuated to Dallas, they lost touch with Joy. But last fall, they found each other, and Joy moved her family to Dallas to join Sterling's. They share a home near Kiest Park in Oak Cliff.
David Sterling, Katrina survivor: We are buying. We are first time homeowners, me and my little family. God bless this. When Joy came we put our little ends together, the little we had. When she came the family grew so we had to get something bigger. We said well, 6, 7, 800 dollars for a rental apartment, might as well try and get a house. And grace of God, this is what we come up with two years later.
Cuellar: Sterling is one of an estimated 25,000 Katrina survivors still living in North Texas. But, like 2/3 of the evacuees here, he doesn't receive FEMA housing assistance because he was renting his New Orleans apartment. FEMA has helped former Lower 9th Ward homeowner Elois Teno, but she says even with aid and insurance, she's overwhelmed.
Elois Teno, Katrina Survivor: Flood insurance paid, but homeowners paid nothing :38 I entered a class action suit and a lawyer right now as we're speaking has $12,000 in his office waiting for me. 476 The contents were worth over $100,000 and the property, the home was worth over $125,000. Oh, and out of that $12,000 I'm supposed to get, I'll probably only get about $8000. For these reasons, I along with other evacuees, continue to have financial, emotional, and social issues. Our deepest desire is to become known as high-functioning contributing members of this society. We're no longer known as professionals or working class people who value the work ethic. Instead we're known by our FEMA number.
Cuellar: Teno was one of several Katrina survivors who spoke at a "Day of Presence" organized by Dallas Area Interfaith. City and county officials attended the memorial, where DAI leader and Katrina survivor Ada Simmons thanked North Texans for help thus far, but asked all citizens to provide more housing and workforce training. Simmons says it's tough for Texans to comprehend how much Gulf Coast residents lost.
Ada Simmons, Dallas Area Interfaith Katrina Survivors Network: Your clothing, furniture, books, and photographs. Imagine losing your home itself. Your neighborhood. Your job. Your school. Your friends. Your neighbors. On top of all of these losses, imagine losing your health coverage when you need health most. Getting used to a new life in a new city is more than enough to deal with.
Cuellar: Despite many losses, new homeowner David Sterling feels more hopeful about a future in Dallas than a return to New Orleans.
Sterling: I talked to my people today back in New Orleans. The place where I lived is still not put back together. So it's like saying why should I walk out on the empty street when I got a roof over my head now? There's no place like home, meaning Dallas.
Cuellar: FEMA will continue to provide housing assistance to Katrina survivors through March 2009. But the number of aid recipients has already fallen considerably - from more than 144,000 people in Texas a year ago to less than 20,000 statewide today. Catherine Cuellar, KERA News