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Needles on the ground, rats running loose - horror stories about N.O. shelter

“They need recovery programs, more sanitation, a better mental space for everyone,” Jecques said.

NEW ORLEANS — A shelter that was once heralded as a refuge for some of New Orleans’ most vulnerable, is now facing a number of issues. The city failed to make payments on time to the shelter’s last operator. Now, they’re looking for a new organization to take over.

Dennis Jecques worked as a security guard at the Low Barrier Shelter for five months. When he went in for his first day, he said he was in shock.

“Seeing people on drugs, seeing people who had seizures and overdose, needles on the ground everywhere,” Jecques said.

From vermin infestations to drug needles, he says conditions on the inside were disturbing.

“Rats would just routinely crawl everywhere. It was a big problem. Then they got on the third floor where people were staying. They were living there too,” Jecques said.

Sanitary concerns are just one part of the problem. As our partners at Nola.com dug into the issue, they found that Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s administration was late issuing payments to the shelter’s former operator, Start Corp.

This is something Councilmember Lesli Harris says, is not exclusive to the Low Barrier Shelter.

“It’s not only in the instance of Start Corporation, but for example, our contractors who work on our streets, they need to be paid on time and in the proper amounts,” Harris said.

Now, with a history of late payments, the city is on the hunt for a new operator, increasing funding availability for the shelter from $3 million to $4 million, with room to move up if needed.

“Certainly in this case, the amount of money is flexible. So, a qualified company comes in and says, ‘We need $4.5 million,’ we're not going to hold up getting an operator into the Low Barrier Shelter based on, you know, that the extra money,” Harris said.

Harris says they already have some interest and hope to have a new operator soon. In the meantime, the City’s Homeless Czar Nathaniel Fields, is operating the shelter.

“It’s unfair, quite frankly, to ask Nate to do his work. That’s why it’s important to move out this NOFA quickly, so that we get some applicants,” Harris said.

When the new operator comes in, Jecques says he hopes they can bring new opportunities to people who need them most.

“They need recovery programs, more sanitation, a better mental space for everyone,” Jecques said.

The city will issue their notice of funding availability for the Low Barrier Shelter on Monday.

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