In response to the tornado disaster that has left many St. Louis residents in precarious living conditions, the city has teamed up with state and civic partners to offer a safety net for those braving the winter in damaged homes or without shelter at all. Outlining the initiative, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer stated, “During the brutal cold weather of the past two weeks, we opened shelters for anyone who needed a place to be safe and warm, but we recognize there are people who are still living in homes damaged by the tornado who may not want to come to a shelter, or may need different kinds of support,” as per the City of St. Louis.
Family units with children, elders over 65, and individuals with accessibility challenges are prioritized for assistance including hotel rooms and emergency rental aid thanks to over $10 million in funds approved to aid these tornado-affected citizens and the city's unhoused, these funds being allocated through board bills 94 and 95. The St. Louis Recovery Office alongside groups like Action St. Louis, and the St. Louis Integrated Health Network are making outbound calls and sending outreach workers to check on those in compromised houses and connect them with resources to ensure they remain warm and informed about the warming centers.
Additional support comes in the form of crisis counseling services provided by the State of Missouri, in conjunction with FEMA, by calling or texting Show Me Hope at 1-800-985-5990; City of St. Louis Commissioner of Health Victoria Anwuri emphasized the necessity of these services, "There is a range of emotional supports available at no cost in our tornado-impacted neighborhoods," and confirmed that crisis counselors will be going door-to-door offering their assistance. In an effort to extend the reach of these services, the public is invited to a community meeting and resource fair at the Matthews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club on Dec. 18, where city officials will be available for inquiries and program applications, according to the City of St. Louis.
The STLRecovers Call Center can be reached at 833-925-0977 for those potentially eligible for this aid, based on FEMA Individual Assistance applications, while the STLRecovers Outreach Center is located at 4401 Natural Bridge Ave for in-person assistance, hotel room placement can happen within about 24-48 hours however securing rental assistance might take 30 days or more, in light of application review processes and logistics like apartment locating and lease finalization eligible households may be provided hotel rooms while awaiting rental aid; in urgent cases, residents can contact the United Way Helpline at 211 for immediate shelter. Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks reflected on the communal effort, "We know it is going to take all of us to make sure our neighbors make it through this winter safely," according to the City of St. Louis.
