At the year’s start, Casa Marianella – an emergency and transitional homeless shelter for immigrants – was looking forward to its next chapter. The East Austin nonprofit hoped to boost its housing capacity with its biggest expansion to date.
But, as the coronavirus pandemic has affected operations at the shelter, Casa Marianella now faces a hazier future and worries about the ripple effects the crisis could have on current and former residents.
“We’re figuring it out as we move along,” said Jennifer Long, the nonprofit’s longtime executive director.
Casa Marianella, typically always buzzing with activity, especially at its main house on Gunter Street, has had to prohibit visitors across its 12 shelters.
Three residents who haven’t felt well have been isolating, according to Long. Medically vulnerable and older residents have been moved to other locations. Commonly touched areas are being sanitized regularly and residents have been instructed to social distance, stay home and wash their hands. Some staffers, including Long, have been working from home or reducing the amount of time spent in the shelters.
Casa Marianella currently serves about 125 residents who are seeking or have been granted asylum. A stay at one of the nonprofit’s shelters typically lasts about three months until residents get stabilized and can secure safe housing.
For some former residents, the crisis came just as they had finally been able to move out. Many of them, Long said, have now lost their jobs or had their hours reduced as a result of employers shutting down, furloughing or laying off workers.
“Our entire cycle of getting people on their feet is getting disrupted,” Long said.
Casa Marianella paid April rent for about 40 to 50 former residents, and the nonprofit has launched a fundraising effort to help with rental assistance. “We want to help keep them from becoming homeless,” Long said.
During the 34 years that Casa Marianella has been in operation, it’s weathered many storms ranging from political to economic turmoil. “It’s obviously different this time,” Long said. “I think it could start getting really rough in six months when things aren’t bouncing back.”
Casa Marianella volunteers are assisting with shopping for food and supplies and the organization has put out a call for gently used cell phones so their clients can stay connected.
Isolation has hit some residents hard.
Some of them have spent time in immigration detention centers away from friends and family. This period of staying mostly indoors has felt “emotionally devastating,” especially for former detainees, according to a current shelter resident who asked not to be named because of his immigration status.
The Cameroon native said activities such as playing basketball and the shelter’s monthly celebrations helped create “a brotherhood” among residents and were welcome distractions from thinking about the often harrowing experiences many of them have gone through, such as fleeing violence.
“Normally it’s like Grand Central Station around here,” Long said. “It’s been challenging.”
Credit: Source link
