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Lamar Dixon, River Center shelters to close next week

8 years 4 weeks 1 day ago Saturday, September 10 2016 Sep 10, 2016 September 10, 2016 4:55 PM September 10, 2016 in News
Source: WBRZ

GONZALES – A spokesperson for the Red Cross confirmed that both the Baton Rouge River Center and Lamar Dixon Expo Center shelters will be closed next week.

A spokesperson for the Red Cross said the Lamar Dixon shelter will close Tuesday, Sept. 13 and the River Center shelter will close Thursday, Sept. 15.

Both shelters were opened after extreme rainfall caused historic flooding that devastated much of south Louisiana. Both shelters served hundreds of flood survivors who did not have a place to live after the floods.

A month after flooding inundated south Louisiana, more than 850 people remain in shelters, unable to find more stable housing since the waters forced them from home.

The population is substantially down from a height of more than 11,000, and people continue to leave shelters each day. But others remain stuck, struggling to make progress on finding rental property and transportation.

Volunteers told WBRZ News 2’s Earl Phelps that 77 residents spent the night at the Lamar Dixon shelter Friday night.

Shelters remain open in East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, East Feliciana and Tangipahoa parishes.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has teams at every shelter, trying to help people access available assistance programs. The American Red Cross and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge are among other agencies trying to help people in shelters figure out the options for their next form of housing.

The Red Cross said residents still sheltering at those locations will be moved to other temporary housing locations.

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