CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — “It pisses me off; it’s not right at all, not right at all,” District 3 City Councilman Eric Cantu said in response to a press release issued by his office. In the release, Cantu voiced concerns about the city's cold weather shelter.
The press release claims that shelter residents are being denied showers, that CCRTA buses are dropping them off at Mary Carroll High School instead of directly at the shelter, and that pets are not allowed on the buses. Cantu said these issues are unacceptable and called for immediate action.
“Every human deserves better than this. Just because they’ve fallen on hard times doesn’t mean we should treat them any differently,” Cantu said.
City Manager Peter Zanoni visited the shelter on Tuesday, Jan. 21, countering Cantu’s claims. He explained that the city had always planned to exclude showers from the shelter’s services.
“All along, in our business plan, which we started nine days ago, showers were not included. This is not new information. Cantu’s statements are based on misinformation, as he didn’t know the details of our plan,” Zanoni said.
Instead of providing showers at the shelter, the city is busing those who need them to other locations, such as Mother Teresa’s Shelter.
Marilena Garza, founder of the Free Store, a nonprofit that distributes clothing and shoes to people in need, has been at the shelter every day since it opened. She’s also expressed concern about the conditions she has witnessed.
“There needs to be better leadership, and it needs to come from the City of Corpus Christi,” Garza said.
Garza said her workers have seen people covered in feces, children not receiving enough food, and several individuals walking in without shoes.
Garza, who was initially allowed inside the shelter’s gym on the first day, said she has since been asked to set up outside.
Reports of inadequate services, from transportation issues to a lack of basic hygiene access, have sparked criticism of the city’s response. Many residents are questioning whether the city's plan is effectively meeting the needs of the most vulnerable citizens.
“These weather emergencies are fluid; they’re complex, and sometimes information gets miscommunicated,” said Mayor Paulette Guajardo. "The plan is not perfect, but we're working on it and the most important thing is that we are protecting our most vulnerable during this storm."
But Garza and other community members argue that the city’s response has been too slow and out of touch with the realities faced by those in need.
Zanoni acknowledged there is room for improvement, like utilizing the city's FEMA dome at Del Mar College and this:
“Communicating a little bit more, especially with councilors that have not reached out to us to get information, and may have rushed to conclusions and judgments,” he said.
RTA has since rectified the bus situation and has a dedicated bus dropping people off right at the door, pets are also allowed on the buses as long as they are well-behaved and contained.
The shelter was supposed to close on Wednesday, but will now stay open until Friday morning.
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