30,000 show up for section 8 housing applications in small Georgia city

[Liberal_in_LA]

Georgia city taking measures to avoid housing sign-up chaos
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 12, 2010 11:23 a.m. EDT

30,000 people crowd for housing help

NEW: Acceptance of housing applications distributed Wednesday going smoothly
Officials and police accepting filled-out applications via drive-by lines in the streets

Only 10,000 people were expected, but 30,000 showed up Wednesday
62 people required medical attention, including 20 who were hospitalized


Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The small city of East Point, Georgia, took steps to prevent chaos from breaking out Thursday, a day after more than 30,000 people unexpectedly turned out to pick up public housing applications.

East Point, a suburb south of Atlanta, had expected only 10,000 people to show up Wednesday. But officials said crowd control became an issue after many families brought more than one member -- children, other relatives and even dogs in some cases, according to Kimberly Lemish, executive director of the East Point Housing Authority.

Thursday, people returned the filled-out applications for housing assistance. And officials used a different procedure in the hope of keeping order. Housing authority officials and police were accepting forms as applicants drove by. Those not in cars could walk up to tables where officials accepted the forms.

A steady stream of cars and some foot traffic was evident, but not the craziness of Wednesday, when the applications were distributed.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/12/georgia.housing.crush/index.html?hpt=Sbin