A fire that displaced almost 100 residents of the 360-unit Paradise Gardens Apartments in Long Beach on Dec. 8 also left 19 Cal State Long Beach students who were residing in the apartment building without a place to live.
With finals this week and the holidays approaching, Mike Hostetler, the associate vice president of Student Services and the dean of students, said the administration has a game plan to help those students who were displaced because of the apartment fire in Long Beach.
At Wednesday’s Associated Students Inc. Senate meeting, Hostetler said that several of the displaced students were in need of temporary housing.
He said a specific e-mail was sent to the 19 students that were displaced because of the apartment fire to express their sympathy. The administration is working with the University Bookstore to see if it can come up with textbooks for those students to use.
Additionally, he said he first asked faculty and staff and then the Senate members if they had any spare rooms for the students.
Hostetler said there is not any room in the dorms because the dorms are filled to their capacity. The administration is looking for other options, such as renting motels and rooms at Brooks College for students to temporarily reside in.
Louis Afrouznia, a senior public relations major, is a Paradise Gardens Apartments resident who lives on the south side of the apartment complex. He said he was not affected, but that it was hard for him to concentrate on his final exams. He also said talking about the situation is helping him get through finals despite the fire.
“I’m grateful that my apartment was spared, but at the same time, the feeling of being there and watching it in front of them is heartbreaking,” Afrouznia said. “I couldn’t really focus.”
He said when the fire occurred, officials would not let him in, so he had to sneak into his apartment. Afrouznia said officials would not allow him to get his car and the streets were cut off.
“I was one of the fortunate ones,” Afrouznia said. “I hope everything works out and they get back on their feet.”
To help with the relief efforts, he said he gave a gift card to Student Life & Development, which is coordinating the relief effort.
Associated Students Inc. has started the “Paradise Gardens Relief Fund” to help the students affected by the fire. The university recommends that people donate cash, as well as gift cards, food and any necessary items, and drop them off at the Student Life & Development office in the University Student Union, Room 206. Students are urged to contact the Student Life & Development office at (562) 985-4181 with any information regarding donations for the displaced students.
