Carnival cruise ships are pulling out Feb 28th...

[MrsKreamer]

with many police officers and firefighters(and their families) are being evicted. With the current hosing shortage many will probably move away.
Many other FEMA housing will also expire soon. Where will these people go? There arn't any apts available right now and the few that trickle on to the market are 3 and 4 times what they where just 6 months ago.

 

[snappy]

This is not right.

I see so little progress since August, it is criminal.

My good friend from Lakeview just bought a place in Tampa. She has had enough.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

I understand your frustration, but how long is Carnival supposed to do this for? I mean, they are a business. They have been very generous, but it does have to end at some point. I feel sorry for the people who don't have a place to go, but it is silly to think that this ship was gonna sit there for years, housing people.

 

[Planogirl]

It's sad because the FEMA trailers could solve a lot of this but they're so slow to arrive and some even got damaged the other day. I can understand Carnival's position though and can see why they need to get their ships back in service.

Maybe some arrangements can be made before the end of the month? Maybe someone can light a fire under FEMA or the state or SOMEONE!

 

[Ziva]

I understand your frustration, but how long is Carnival supposed to do this for? I mean, they are a business. They have been very generous, but it does have to end at some point. I feel sorry for the people who don't have a place to go, but it is silly to think that this ship was gonna sit there for years, housing people.

 

[C.Ann]

This is FEMA's responsibility - not the cruise ships.. I think your anger is missplaced..

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I agree with the others. Carnival was nice enough to allow some of there ships to be used and take them out of rotation, but that can only last so long.

 

[Muffin]

Please don't waste any sympathy on Carnival. The New Orleans newspaper did a comparison of what those cruise ships would have made sailing fully loaded for all this time and found out that Carnival is coming out ahead having FEMA pay them for their use.

Carnival is not doing anyone any favors.

Feel sorry for the public servants who have been calling them home for the past few months and have nowhere else to go.

 

[C.Ann]

Please don't waste any sympathy on Carnival. The New Orleans newspaper did a comparison of what those cruise ships would have made sailing fully loaded for all this time and found out that Carnival is coming out ahead having FEMA pay them for their use.

Carnival is not doing anyone any favors.

Feel sorry for the public servants who have been calling them home for the past few months and have nowhere else to go.

----------------------

I don't think it's a matter of having sympathy for Carnival.. They have a business to run and repeat customers that want and expect to be able to take cruises.. And if FEMA is paying them a hefty fee, shame on FEMA if they could be spending less and providing housing for more people if only they got their act together..

 

[Muffin]

Then maybe Carnival should have turned FEMA's very lucrative deal down.

 

[CPM]

----------------------

I don't think it's a matter of having sympathy for Carnival.. They have a business to run and repeat customers that want and expect to be able to take cruises.. And if FEMA is paying them a hefty fee, shame on FEMA if they could be spending less and providing housing for more people if only they got their act together..

EXACTLY!! They still have the same problem over here on the West Coast of FL. There is nowhere for the people of Punta Gorda to go.
At some point though some of the "victims" have to take responsibility too.
I know of many families that moved on after the hurricanes to other places. I know it can't be easy but you have to try & move on at some point.

 

[C.Ann]

Then maybe Carnival should have turned FEMA's very lucrative deal down.

-----------------------

And I have a feeling that you would then be complaining about Carnival being selfish and uncaring..

Why is it that you feel FEMA shouldn't be held accountable, but Carnival should?

 

[arminnie]

It's like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. There are so many more people that need housing than the available supply in New Orleans.

The real problem is that no one seems to be doing anything about the housing shortage. People have to leave cruise ships and trailers sometime. Those are only temporary fixes and might be okay if there was any new housing being created.

It's been five months, and I don't think there's been any new housing built. And while lots of people are working themselves to death trying to repair their homes, there are way more homes that have not been touched.

I wish I knew the answer.

 

[C.Ann]

I wish I knew the answer.

------------------------

Me too! It sounds like an absolute nightmare.. I'm ashamed to say I haven't kept up much with the news on this lately, so I wanted to ask - did they ever bulldoze those entire neighborhoods or are those houses still sitting there vacant?

And in your honest opinion - do you think NO will ever be as diversified as it was?

 

[MrsKreamer]

I understand your frustration, but how long is Carnival supposed to do this for? I mean, they are a business. They have been very generous, but it does have to end at some point. I feel sorry for the people who don't have a place to go, but it is silly to think that this ship was gonna sit there for years, housing people.

Generous? FEMA is paying for the rooms almost 300 million so far.
I am not saying they should sit there for years, but at least until there are more trailers or other housing options. When the boats leave these people(all first response police and firemen) will be homeless.

 

[MrsKreamer]

------------------------

Me too! It sounds like an absolute nightmare.. I'm ashamed to say I haven't kept up much with the news on this lately, so I wanted to ask - did they ever bulldoze those entire neighborhoods or are those houses still sitting there vacant?

And in your honest opinion - do you think NO will ever be as diversified as it was?

Nothing has been bulldozed yet, the notices are to be sent out next week by mail.

Honestly I completely understand that Carnival is a company and they need to get back to business as well, heck it is going to be great have ships leave from our port again, more tourism and money for the city. BUT my concern is that theese police and firemen(the majority of who is on these ships) will simply relocate to another city or state. This leaves our city VERY vunerable. I blame a lot of people for not creating more housing, local govt, ect. My main concern was not that the ships were leaving, but the precious cargo aboard will leave with them.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that if the rebuilding didn't drag so badly none of this would be an issue. Who is responsible for removing the damaged properties? Is it the homeowner or local government?

Also, how are the insurance companies responding? Are they dragging their heels?

Are the builders available to build the new structures? If they're not even there how can anything get done.

Lots of questions, very few answers.

 

[C.Ann]

Worse yet, it's only what - 4 or 5 months until the hurricane season begins again?

I'm not saying NO will get hit again, but somewhere will - and that will only back things up further..

 

[Cass]

How many Military bases closed last year in the US? They are sitting there empty with ready facilities like housing, barracks, schools, hospitals... why isn't the govermnent utilzing these closed bases for Katrina Refugees?

 

[Planogirl]

I just read that the contract with Carnival is expiring and that FEMA is determined to get people into other housing. I wonder if Carnival would sign another contract or if it's actually FEMA that is pulling the plug on this?