Bill would turn six closed bases into emergency shelters

Bill would turn six closed bases into emergency shelters
By Mark Abramson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, February 16, 2009

A Florida congressman wants to give a half dozen closed-down military bases new life in order to save lives.

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., has proposed a bill that would turn six shuttered military bases nationwide into national emergency centers.

Those centers would provide temporary housing, medical and humanitarian assistance to people displaced by an emergency or natural disaster; furnish sites for first responders, government, nonprofits and faith-based organizations to coordinate a response; and serve as training centers. The bill is being called the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act.

"The congressman thought there would be an opportunity to set up emergency locations at six locations around the country to help people during emergencies," said Lale Mamaux, Hastings’ chief of staff. "I think that it is really quite critical as we saw with Hurricane Katrina … the response was terrible.

"The purpose of this is to have something in place in the event of a natural disaster," Mamaux said. "Having the resources to put something right in base and assist people in a timely matter is important."


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60755

housing homeless people?

If they are going to use the bases to house people either homeless or from disasters, they had better keep the services in good working order and the facilities clean and sound.

It is a great idea to use these places for such but if they allow them to become rat infested shit holes with no water, electricity or heat then the people are moving from one hell to another.

cleaning the places up. they could feel good about that as well as having shelter. the utilities would need to be maintained of course. anyway i hope it happens.

Great thinking

I agree totally. We are going to see that rise in the next couple of years. Too bad that the old Sand Point Naval base in Seattle is now part of the parks department. Many of those buildings could be used as a short term solution for the homeless in Seattle.

We already have the assets (the bases)--let's put them to good use.

I recall thinking the same thing when all the bases were being shuttered ... but there's far too great an "opportunity" to turn them into permanent DP camps. The homeless don't need to be collected, warehoused and sidelined -- they need low-income housing and reintegration into their communities. We need living wage standards and "safety nets" that're further above the concrete of permanent superfluousness.

IMHO, of course. YMMV. :shrug: