CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some evacuees likely had a more comfortable bed to sleep in than everyone else at disaser shelters over the past week. Taxpayers helped foot the bill for "alternative housing" for two sex offenders in Union County.
"There were no sex offenders in the American Red Cross Shelter at Monroe Middle School," Union County Emergency Management Coordinator Don Moye said Tuesday.
Instead, he said the sex offenders were placed in commercial "alternative housing" with the government covering the cost. Moye called the segregation of those sex offenders a safety precaution.
The American Red Cross makes it a point to accept any person who needs shelter during a disaster. However, the organization said it also works to keep all of those people safe.
"The safety of our shelter residents is a priority," a spokesperson said Tuesday. "They deserve to know they are staying in a safe and secure place. The Red Cross follows local and state laws regarding sex offenders, and work with local law enforcement to determine where sex offenders should be housed if they come to a Red Cross shelter."
Sheila Mainor spent several days at a shelter in Charlotte. She said she's felt safe the entire time.
"They treat us well, fed us good," she said. "It was a blessing seriously."
Sex offenders are required to alert officials of their status when they arrive at a shelter.