Aurora – Officials aiding Hurricane Katrina victims here expect 75 percent of the evacuees who have come to Colorado to stay permanently.
Officials have processed nearly 1,000 people at the Lowry campus, where more than 400 are living temporarily in dormitories.
“A lot are excited about job opportunities; they are excited about the potential” the state has to offer, said Karen Herdman, a Salvation Army spokeswoman.
Herdman said she has heard from evacuees who are “blown away” by the assistance and attention they’ve received here.
About 100 evacuees have already found jobs, Herdman said.
Besides helping evacuees find work and housing here, officials are working to accommodate those who want to move on.
“We are doing relocations through Friday; whoever is left is going to stay, for the most part,” Herdman said.
Dan Hopkins, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Owens, said the 75 percent estimate is “anecdotal.”
Many victims don’t have an option to go home for some time.
“Many of these people don’t have anything to go back to,” Hopkins said.
On Tuesday, evacuee officials held a news conference at Lowry to clarify how the operation is organized among agencies.
Lt. Gov. Jane Norton said Camp Katrina now operates as a unified command system, as an “equal partnership” among the state, the American Red Cross and a coalition of clergy.
Officials hope all evacuees will be placed in permanent housing or relocated by Sept. 30.
The announcement came in response to concerns raised by evacuees about housing, job and transportation needs, as well as communication issues among the agencies.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Norton.
