GALVESTON — Most of the 422 people still staying the night in the Red Cross shelter at Alamo Elementary are not Galveston residents, City Manager Steve LeBlanc said on Friday.

The shelter will close Oct. 26, and while city officials will try to help everyone find a new place to stay, their focus has been on Galvestonians, he said.

All former residents of Galveston Housing Authority properties, including those who were staying in the shelter, are now in temporary housing at hotels and apartments, said Harish Krishnarao, housing authority executive director.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, the island shelter stopped allowing new people to come in, an effort to prevent the population from growing ahead of next week’s closure.

About 800 people still come to the shelter for meals but are spending the night somewhere else, city officials said.

Some of the people who are using the facility are contractors who have come to the island looking for work, LeBlanc said. Some are even from other states, he said.

Those who qualify for housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be able to get a voucher on Nov. 1 for rental assistance, officials said.

The Galveston Housing Authority will administer the voucher program.

People who have already registered with the federal government and know they qualify for assistance should come to the housing authority offices at the Island Community Center, 4700 Broadway, to get a voucher.

Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas encouraged all Galvestonians who found temporary accommodations in other parts of the state to stay put until the island’s available housing situation improves.

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FEMA Centers

People who need help finding temporary housing and other assistance should visit one of FEMA’s disaster response centers.

• Mary, Star of the Sea Mission, 16626 San Luis Pass Road, Jamaica Beach

• Island Community Center, 4700 Broadway

• City Hall, 823 Rosenberg

All centers are open between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday