Homeless in motels- a new phenomenon elsewhere?

We saw this article on CNN about the state of Massachusetts needing to rely on motels as overflow shelters. They cited a "skyrocketing" number of families in motels over the past 12 months- from 17 to 550. Here in Osceola, estimates of the number of families living in motels on a permanent basis vary from 500 to 2500. Yet our burgeoning motel homeless population isn't even on the radar of most local, let alone national, media outlets.

If we were able to get down to only 17 families, I'd consider our county wildly successful in housing homeless families. What do we need to get there?

- more prevention resources, like emergency gap funding for families with a one-time crisis, and mediation services for landlords and tenants

- barrier reduction programs or a bonding program to help families with minor things like previous evictions or outstanding utility bills resettle in a permanent home

- construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of hundreds (if not thousands) of affordable units (and by affordable I mean accessible to families working the lifeblood of our county- tourism)

- intensive case management and life skills assistance to help families who have struggled in gaining money management skills

- recognition by government (local all the way up to the top) and financial resources to back up the recognition of the issue Sphere: Related Content