:
US: A report from the Georgia State University’s (GSU) Center on Health and Homelessness has found that more than 4,600 people, including 2,004 households, are living in extended stay hotels in DeKalb County.
A team of 50 GSU and community volunteers conducted surveys at 42 extended stay hotels across DeKalb County in Atlanta.
The study, funded by DeKalb County and conducted in partnership with family advocate Sue Sullivan and the nonprofit Single Parents Alliance and Resource Center, highlights the health and safety risks that residents face, educational disruptions, and how targeted programs can help families obtain long-term housing.
Findings from the survey showed that families living in extended stay hotels pay a monthly average of $1,852 – an amount that typically exceeds the average rent of $1,789 in the county.
Of the households surveyed, around 78 per cent had at least one person working, and 24 per cent had at least one person who worked multiple jobs.
When asked about the barriers to securing permanent housing, 61 per cent of respondents cited not meeting screening criteria for income, 48 per cent said they could not afford a deposit, 36 per cent cited a low credit score, and 33 per cent cited previous evictions. Respondents could select more than one option.
“Our data show that families are paying what it costs to rent an apartment but are locked out of the rental market, often because of screening barriers and high upfront costs,” said April Ballard, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health and co-lead of the Center on Health and Homelessness. “They’d overwhelmingly like to move into more stable housing but often are trapped because they don’t meet screening criteria for rentals or can’t save enough for a security deposit.”
The study also found that over 16 per cent of residents had lived in extended stay hotels for more than five years, and an additional 45 per cent had lived in hotels for between one to five years.
“Thousands of people in DeKalb County are living in extended stay hotels but are not included in federal homelessness counts or local administrative systems,” said report co-author Shannon Self-Brown, a university professor in the School of Public Health and co-lead of the Center on Health and Homelessness. “These families are excluded when resources are allocated, yet they face the same instability, cost burdens, and risks to health and safety as other people who lack stable housing.”
Regarding health and safety, nearly 33 per cent of residents reported mould and nearly half (49 per cent) reported insects or rats. 22 per cent reported crime, violence, or unsafe conditions.
Approximately 25 per cent of households also reported receiving McKinney-Vento services – which gives children experiencing homelessness the right to transportation assistance and immediate school enrolment – suggesting that a large proportion of children living extended stay hotels are at risk of poor attendance.
According to the survey, around 1,635 children are living in extended stay hotels in DeKalb County.
“Extended stay hotels are designed for short-term lodging, not long-term living,” Ballard added. “In addition to impacts on physical and mental health, the housing instability these families face makes it difficult for children to succeed academically and for adults to maintain stable employment.”
The report notes that targeted, one-time assistance to help renters pay for upfront costs such as security deposits could immediately unlock permanent housing for hundreds of families.
The creation of a program that provides rental assistance to ensure that families spend no more than 30 per cent of their income on housing – the federal threshold at which households are defined as cost-burdened – would require approximately $1,100 per month per family, based on current average rental costs.
Self-Brown said: “The extended stay hotel crisis will not resolve on its own and is likely to get worse without coordinated action. Our project findings highlight the urgency of the crisis but also emphasises that meaningful solutions are possible.”
Highlights:
- More than 4,600 people, including over 2,000 households, are living in extended stay hotels in DeKalb County
- Families pay an average of $1,852 per month, exceeding the county’s average rent, despite lacking permanent housing
- Nearly 80 per cent of households have at least one working adult, but face barriers such as income screening, deposits and credit scores
- Around 1,635 children live in extended stay hotels, with many experiencing long-term housing instability and school disruption
