NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) — Housing vouchers for those staying at the Ramada Inn in National City are starting to expire, and flood victims staying at the hotel are worried about where they will go next.
The county says they are working on transitioning everyone who qualifies for the housing program.
On Wednesday evening, families at the hotel expressed their confusion and frustration about the process to get their vouchers extended.
Leticia Machado says she and her family were flooded out of their apartment in National City on Jan. 22, the same day so many homes flooded throughout San Diego County.
She says she received her hotel vouchers for the Ramada Inn through the YMCA, which were set to expire on Feb. 14 at 11 a.m.
Fortunately for her family, their voucher was extended for another seven days, and she's hoping to qualify for the county's short-term lodging program for flood victims.
On Wednesday, she says she completed the intake process with the county.
Machado says the process has been confusing, with different families getting contradicting information.
She says she was so frustrated that she set up a WhatsApp group chat to communicate about voucher needs and for families to communicate about other things like food or supplies.
The county told ABC 10News they are working on the transition for all who qualify for the program, meaning people who were flooded and forced to move out of their homes after the January 22nd storm.
A spokesperson says the priority is people whose vouchers expire first. The county has asked organizations to extend the vouchers for those who need it.
The spokesperson explained the process essentially means doing intake from scratch, adding that they’re almost done with the families staying at the Ramada Inn and will transition into the program in the coming days.
