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Add housing evacuees as a potential use for America's declining malls. On Sunday over 250 people moved from NRG Center to a new emergency shelter set up in the former Macy's space at Greenspoint Mall.
The American Red Cross, which is operating the shelter, said the vacant department store could give storm victims a place to stay for a longer period than other possible venues because of the mall's lack of activity.
"The beauty of this facility is that it's no longer a commercial facility," Gregory Smith, site director for the Red Cross emergency shelter at Greenspoint Mall, told the Houston Chronicle. "We don't have a timeline for when we have to move."
It is not clear how long the Red Cross will keep the new facility open. That will depend on the recovery of the flood victims, Smith said.
