Tennessee 211

2-1-1 In the News

The City Paper (Nashville)
November 04, 2005

Evacuees not job hunters yet

By JUDITH R. TACKETT

Hurricane evacuees from the Gulf States are not yet looking for jobs here in Nashville, according to participation rates in local job fairs.

A job fair held at Centennial Park a couple of weeks ago saw about 1,000 job providers for approximately 40 evacuees. An earlier job fair at Nashville Career Advancement Center attracted only 56 hurricane victims, Career Advancement Center Director Susan Cowden said.

The Nashville Career Advancement Center intends to get more aggressive with the help of a federal grant to specifically reach out to hurricane evacuees who intend to stay in the area and help them find employment.

“I think a lot of people are just still trying to make that decision as to whether they’re going to stay or not,” Cowden said. “We’ve probably had several hundred people come through our center here and most of them are right now interested in filing for their unemployment insurance benefits and making sure they have their immediate income needs met.”

The federal Department of Labor committed $15 million to fund about 150 skilled reintegration counselors for six months in 12 states, including Tennessee.

Evacuee needs are still high, according to Doug Fluegel, the United Way’s 2-1-1 manager.

“We’ve recorded about 260 evacuee needs on Oct. 5, and now we’ve recorded about 505,” Fluegel said about the most recent call report of the 2-1-1 help line.

“The types of needs really haven’t changed much,” Fluegel continued. “Permanent housing is still the number one call type we get and financial assistance is number two, and then food is number three.”

Federal housing programs appear to be running smoothly.

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) Director Phil Ryan said his organization has given out 15 Section 8 Housing vouchers under the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program. MDHA has also relocated 14 families into public housing.

The families can receive the HUD assistance through MDHA for up to 18 months.

Jim Kelly with Catholic Charities in New Orleans said he believes an extremely high percentage of evacuees want to return to their home city.

Especially in New Orleans, family traditions and cultural heritage will attract people to come home, Kelly said. But restrictions in carrying voucher assistance from one place to another may be in the way of many evacuees returning home quickly.

Copyright 2000-2004, The City Paper LLC.

top


	2-1-1 In the News The City Paper (Nashville) November 04, 2005 Evacuees not job hunters yet By JUDITH R. TACKETT Hurricane evacuees from the Gulf States are not yet looking for jobs here in Nashville, according to participation rates in local job fairs. A job fair held at Centennial Park a couple of weeks ago saw about 1,000 job providers for approximately 40 evacuees. An earlier job fair at Nashville Career Advancement Center attracted only 56 hurricane victims, Career Advancement Center Director Susan Cowden said. The Nashville Career Advancement Center intends to get more aggressive with the help of a federal grant to specifically reach out to hurricane evacuees who intend to stay in the area and help them find employment. “I think a lot of people are just still trying to make that decision as to whether they’re going to stay or not,” Cowden said. “We’ve probably had several hundred people come through our center here and most of them are right now interested in filing for their unemployment insurance benefits and making sure they have their immediate income needs met.” The federal Department of Labor committed $15 million to fund about 150 skilled reintegration counselors for six months in 12 states, including Tennessee. Evacuee needs are still high, according to Doug Fluegel, the United Way’s 2-1-1 manager. “We’ve recorded about 260 evacuee needs on Oct. 5, and now we’ve recorded about 505,” Fluegel said about the most recent call report of the 2-1-1 help line. “The types of needs really haven’t changed much,” Fluegel continued. “Permanent housing is still the number one call type we get and financial assistance is number two, and then food is number three.” Federal housing programs appear to be running smoothly. Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) Director Phil Ryan said his organization has given out 15 Section 8 Housing vouchers under the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program. MDHA has also relocated 14 families into public housing. The families can receive the HUD assistance through MDHA for up to 18 months. Jim Kelly with Catholic Charities in New Orleans said he believes an extremely high percentage of evacuees want to return to their home city. Especially in New Orleans, family traditions and cultural heritage will attract people to come home, Kelly said. But restrictions in carrying voucher assistance from one place to another may be in the way of many evacuees returning home quickly. Copyright 2000-2004, The City Paper LLC. top