10,000 Houston Refugees expected to arrive in San Antonio. (apartment, home)

[Gilah G.]

Originally Posted by Sharpydove

The truth is "mean"? Feel free to put your home address up here and take in a bus load. I saw my neighborhood change greatly once those folks moved in.

I believe you. Friend of mine lived in the Cupples Rd. Area where the many Apartments are located. She said it didn't take long for the schools and neighborhoods to change, and not in a good way. She eventually moved...to Corpus!
Not trying to be negative. I am damn Proud of San Antonio and what they have contributed to Katrina and now Harvey.
But, you can't turn a blind eye and pretend it didn't happen, and that it won't happen again.

[Gilah G.]

Originally Posted by RadiantBaby

People on both sides of this debate are right.

Helping others is a part of being a decent human being. Period.

But, when folks stay in a city they unexpectedly land in, it can change a demographic, values, safety, etc. That's the nature of the beast. Good, bad, indifferent.

I agree.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

Austin Hwy is very scary at night and sometimes even during the day. It was cleaned up for a few years but it's getting bad again. This may be the last straw for me to move out of Alamo Heights and into the country. I can't imagine anymore of those fine citizens coming.

I think it changed also when Bib BBQ moved to bigger location, Jamaica place opened and some shady new shack bars. The area between HEB and the Cowboys Dance Ball its really scary. From HEB to Alamo Heights is getting better. I don't drive Perrin Beitel anymore. There is nothing I want to visit. And since the closed Sun Harvest - I don't drive Nacogdoches either. The area around the Post Office on Harlow is infested by homeless groups sleeping there and stealing stuff in the neighborhood.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Sharpydove

The truth is "mean"? Feel free to put your home address up here and take in a bus load. I saw my neighborhood change greatly once those folks moved in.

If I had more than 500 square feet I would happily take in a few people. I've also donated about $100 to the cause and have signed up to be a "mental health" volunteer.

Originally Posted by RadiantBaby

People on both sides of this debate are right.

Helping others is a part of being a decent human being. Period.

But, when folks stay in a city they unexpectedly land in, it can change a demographic, values, safety, etc. That's the nature of the beast. Good, bad, indifferent.

Tried to rep you but I had to spread it around first.

[sapphire]

Donating $100 is a completely different thing from having your home lose its value. Commendable? Yes but let's be real here. Also commendable is being a mental health volunteer but still nothing like having a home lose value. Apartment dwellers won't understand because when their complex becomes run down they just move.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by elnina

I think it changed also when Bib BBQ moved to bigger location, Jamaica place opened and some shady new shack bars. The area between HEB and the Cowboys Dance Ball its really scary. From HEB to Alamo Heights is getting better. I don't drive Perrin Beitel anymore. There is nothing I want to visit. And since the closed Sun Harvest - I don't drive Nacogdoches either. The area around the Post Office on Harlow is infested by homeless groups sleeping there and stealing stuff in the neighborhood.

My girlfriend has been harassed at the Valero in front of TARGET many times!

[ClaraC]

People who were evacuated by bus from Katrina are a different population from people who are evacuating from Houston on their own steam.

The 5th ward in New Orleans was like a 3rd world country war zone. Our community had several families relocate here from the 5th ward, and the high school kids were amazed that you didn't have to fist fight your way through the halls every single day to get to your classes, and that there were intact families with both parents with no family members in prison.

Honestly, as awful as Katrina was, that storm might have benefitted young people who were blasted out of the 5th ward into communities where people behave normally.

[L210]

I lived on the NE side most of my life, and a lot of you have very short memories. Sorry, but it's the truth. While some areas were drastically changed after the Hurricane Katrina evacuees came (the most dramatic change was around the Judson ISD area where they ended up building Wagner HS), the rest of the NE side didn't change that much.

The Austin Hwy area has always had periods of high crime. In the 1990s, my family lived on Austin Hwy and would hear gun shots and see crack dealers. The homelessness problem on Austin Hwy was recognized after the abandoned hotel fire in 2004 over a year before Hurricane Katrina hit. I don't even know how anyone from that area could forget that. There were hardly any businesses on Austin Hwy at that time because the area was so economically depressed. My aunt moved away from the Perrin Beitel area years before Hurricane Katrina due to the increase in burglaries.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by L210

I lived on the NE side most of my life, and a lot of you have very short memories. Sorry, but it's the truth. While some areas were drastically changed after the Hurricane Katrina evacuees came (the most dramatic change was around the Judson ISD area where they ended up building Wagner HS), the rest of the NE side didn't change that much.

The Austin Hwy area has always had periods of high crime. In the 1990s, my family lived on Austin Hwy and would hear gun shots and see crack dealers. The homelessness problem on Austin Hwy was recognized after the abandoned hotel fire in 2004 over a year before Hurricane Katrina hit. I don't even know how anyone from that area could forget that. There were hardly any businesses on Austin Hwy at that time because the area was so economically depressed. My aunt moved away from the Perrin Beitel area years before Hurricane Katrina due to the increase in burglaries.

I don't know it was nice for a while and now it's bad again.

[L210]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I don't know it was nice for a while and now it's bad again.

Ironically, it got nice after Hurricane Katrina because the city created a revitalization plan for that area. If it's going bad again 12 years later, then I don't think you can blame Katrina evacuees.