Dallas makes longterm plans to house Harvey evacuees

The City of Dallas is making longer term plans to house people who have evacuated from the Texas gulf coast.

The Dallas City Council authorized an emergency measure on Wednesday that will allow the city to spend up to 8 million dollars on sheltering storm victims.

"For just showers, toilets and hand washing stations it is $100,000 a day for the 4 shelters we are operating,” said City of Dallas CFO Elizabeth Reich. That adds up to $3 million dollars a month.

Natalia Zavala and her husband along with their eight-year-old and two-year-old daughters, are on day five of living in a shelter.

"We left Friday around 11 p.m.,” Zavala said. "We had someone finally get through to see the house, it is flooded, both of his work trucks are flooded."

So far she says no one has talked with her about getting her into a hotel. But Gov. Greg Abbott said that is the ultimate plan.

“We want families with living rooms,” Abbott said.

Judge Clay Jenkins said 55 evacuees have already left Irving's shelter after finding other places to stay.

In Dallas, FOX4 talked with several evacuees living with family or friends in cramped conditions.

"We have 8-11 people in one bedroom, but family matters,” said Cynthia Chairinos.

Gabriel Lira evacuated his family on Friday.

"I didn't want to come but they wanted to come, so we came, thank God we came,” Lira said, who added he had no idea that there would be no return date in sight. "We only planned on Saturday and Sunday, packed 2 pairs of clothes, that is it."

For more information on FEMA evacuee hotels: http://www.femaevachotels.com/