Gateway Hotel residents relocated to temporary housing, searching for permanent homes

People who were living in the Gateway Hotel in downtown El Paso are now in temporary housing until they can find a permanent home.

One of the owners, Son Cha McCormick, didn’t answer her door Tuesday. ABC-7 did speak with her over the phone, but she said she was too busy to answer questions.

When the city shut down the hotel Monday for numerous fire, electrical and plumbing hazards, dozens of people who were living there were forced to find temporary homes.

“I was definitely mad … who wouldn’t be? I just paid my rent Thursday,” resident Carl Davis said. He lived at Gateway off and on for 10 years.

The downtown El Paso hotel had both long term and newer residents. Davis said rent was only allowed to be paid in cash.

“I actually had a good room. I liked my room. It was comfortable, big room, spacious room, only thing is is it didn’t have a kitchenette,” Stewart McLendon said. He lived at the hotel for three months and thought the conditions were better than the Horizon City halfway house he was living in previously.

The El Paso Coalition for the Homeless made contact with 36 people who lived at the Gateway. Fifteen of them are staying at Casa Vida de Salud Recovery Alliance. Four are at the Opportunity Center. Two have chosen the Salvation Army. One relocated to the De Soto Hotel, also in downtown. One other person is at the Rescue Mission of El Paso. The rest either chose not to receive help or are staying with friends and family.

Casa Vida director Mario Mendoza said he knows how valuable the help can be because he knows first hand what it’s like to be homeless.

“It feels good being able to help instead of having to send them to the streets, under the bridges, the parks,” Mendoza said.

“I just got through paying my rent. Now i don’t know if I’ll get my money back or not but now I’m trying to go through HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) to get my own apartment.”

Although people who lived at Gateway have been offered temporary help, many are still concerned about their belongings still in the secured building and the future long term.

Fire marshals say they haven’t been in contact with the building owners. ABC-7 requested the recent inspections and list of violations from city officials, but they were not made available. City Code Compliance Manager Elga Hefner said the process has already begun to condemn the building.