WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:02:21.1410000" NOTE recognizability:0.902 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.914 Earlier today, the City Health Department NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:01.914 --> 00:00:03.543 conducted a health and Wellness NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:03.543 --> 00:00:05.337 check at the abandoned Navy base. NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:05.340 --> 00:00:06.306 Yeah, last November, NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:06.306 --> 00:00:08.238 the city announced its $8 million NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:08.238 --> 00:00:10.141 plan to expand the low barrier NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:10.141 --> 00:00:11.666 shelter and to relocate Ozanam NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:11.728 --> 00:00:13.420 in until that work is complete, NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:13.420 --> 00:00:15.466 the city health director says it's NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:15.466 --> 00:00:17.436 important to meet people where they NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:17.436 --> 00:00:19.326 can find them to get them help. NOTE Confidence: 0.9113945 00:00:19.330 --> 00:00:22.240 JD career has more. NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:22.240 --> 00:00:24.040 It's warm in there and right NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:24.040 --> 00:00:25.839 now that's all I could be NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:25.840 --> 00:00:27.947 thankful for. Words from a man named NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:27.947 --> 00:00:30.387 Russell who says he's been living at the NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:30.387 --> 00:00:32.440 Navy base recently to escape the cold. NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:32.440 --> 00:00:34.192 It's for people who like Russell NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:34.192 --> 00:00:35.737 that joined by homeless advocacy NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:35.737 --> 00:00:37.675 groups in NOPD the city's health NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:37.675 --> 00:00:39.637 department went into the Old Navy base, NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:40.840 offering blankets, health services NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:42.340 and even drug overdose kits, NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:42.340 --> 00:00:43.840 according to Doctor Jennifer Avegno, NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:45.639 the need for homeless services in the NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:45.639 --> 00:00:48.037 city of New Orleans continues to increase. NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:48.040 --> 00:00:49.505 She also says she understands NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:49.505 --> 00:00:51.635 how difficult it can be to pull NOTE Confidence: 0.904705 00:00:51.635 --> 00:00:53.140 oneself from an unhoused life. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:00:53.230 --> 00:00:54.446 Unfortunately, there's a lot NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:00:54.446 --> 00:00:56.270 of hoops that people have to NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:00:56.326 --> 00:00:57.816 jump through to get housing, NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:00:57.820 --> 00:00:59.955 but this is the first step on NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:00:59.955 --> 00:01:01.488 the journey. A large undertaking NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:01.490 --> 00:01:02.411 for everyone involved. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:02.411 --> 00:01:03.629 According to Doctor Rovegno, NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:03.630 --> 00:01:06.078 she says this is the first time the city NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:06.078 --> 00:01:08.527 has come here to do homeless outreach. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:08.530 --> 00:01:10.778 She says it's such a large building and NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:10.778 --> 00:01:13.165 it was such a big undertaking that they NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:13.165 --> 00:01:15.568 had to bring in some extra support. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:15.570 --> 00:01:18.018 We go out with our partners like Unity, NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:18.020 --> 00:01:20.141 Odyssey House, others that that can link NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:20.141 --> 00:01:22.351 folks on the street to the services NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:22.351 --> 00:01:24.440 that they need unity of Greater New NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:24.440 --> 00:01:26.638 Orleans is a collaboration of over 60 NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:26.638 --> 00:01:28.220 organizations providing housing and services. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:28.220 --> 00:01:29.930 To the local homeless population. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:29.930 --> 00:01:31.976 According to outreach manager Clarence White. NOTE Confidence: 0.91045725 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:34.716 The third partnerships with the city go along NOTE Confidence: 0.916945460000001 00:01:34.720 --> 00:01:36.888 way. It helps us out a lot for NOTE Confidence: 0.916945460000001 00:01:36.888 --> 00:01:39.154 us getting resources for the city NOTE Confidence: 0.916945460000001 00:01:39.154 --> 00:01:41.214 to help our homeless populations. NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:41.220 --> 00:01:43.565 White says it goes even further when NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:43.565 --> 00:01:46.000 the director of health and other city NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.058 workers join them side by side. NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:48.060 --> 00:01:50.094 They really want to see outreach NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:50.094 --> 00:01:52.527 reaching out to them to give them NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:52.527 --> 00:01:54.207 the homeless services that we NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:54.210 --> 00:01:56.262 can provide to them. Russell says NOTE Confidence: 0.91694546 00:01:56.262 --> 00:01:57.630 anything and everything helps. NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:01:58.270 --> 00:02:00.853 There's many, many here that that don't NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:00.853 --> 00:02:03.814 have this amount and they won't show NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:03.814 --> 00:02:05.594 themselves because they're afraid, NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:05.600 --> 00:02:08.018 afraid that someone is going to NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:08.018 --> 00:02:10.070 take whatever they have away, NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:10.070 --> 00:02:11.291 they have nothing. NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:11.291 --> 00:02:13.733 We all have pretty much nothing, NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:13.740 --> 00:02:16.589 and I'm grateful for what I have. NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:16.590 --> 00:02:18.620 A collaborative effort bringing forth NOTE Confidence: 0.8458879 00:02:18.620 --> 00:02:21.138 gratitude, JD Career, Eyewitness News.