Emergency Shelters for Real People

On August 29, 2005, hurricane Katrina struck the coast of Louisiana at about 6 am.  Reports estimate  from 10,000 - 25,000 people found shelter in the Superdome.  The horror stories that have come out of that "shelter" are difficult to stomach.  I can find no reports that state how long it took for victims to get back into permanent housing.

                                                                      allisonwright.com

When an earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, outdoor shelters were made for the victims.  It is reported that 1.5 million people found shelter in these camps.  (www.dec.org.uk)

minnesotapublicradio.org

Almost three years later, many are still living in these camps.  I am reminded of an old idiom, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."  This could happen anywhere.  The victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Haiti were not expecting disaster.  They had no idea what was coming.

ASID is sponsoring a competition for emergency shelter design.  This competition refers to the victims of large, unexpected disasters as a focus group for developing innovative housing in an emergency, using vacant buildings which are already ADA compliant and are climate controlled.  I am entering this competition.  

My focus in healthcare design is primarily the aging population in the U.S.  I have decided to create an emergency shelter for people with disabilities.  Hurricane Katrina took 1,833 lives.  Almost half of those were over 74 years of age.  (www.gnocdc.org)  

In this blog I will be addressing issues of the aging population, as well as the care of those with disabilities not related to aging.  I will appreciate any comments that will lead my research and help me to create an emergency shelter community that will be viable in a real emergency for real people.