A Georgia State University study found 4,600 people, including 1,635 children, live in extended-stay hotels in DeKalb County, paying an average of $1,852 per month — more than the county’s average rent — while facing substandard housing and barriers to permanent housing.
What’s Happening: Researchers from GSU’s Center on Health and Homelessness surveyed 42 extended-stay hotels in DeKalb County and found 2,004 households living in what the study calls “a shelter of last resort.” The study was funded by DeKalb County and conducted with family advocate Sue Sullivan and the nonprofit Single Parents Alliance and Resource Center.
What’s Important: Families in extended-stay hotels pay more than the county’s average rent of $1,789 per month but cannot access permanent housing. When asked about barriers, 61% of respondents said they did not meet income screening requirements for rentals, 48% could not afford a security deposit, 36% cited low credit scores, and 33% cited previous evictions.
How This Affects Real People: Nearly 33% of residents reported mold in their rooms, 49% reported insects or rats, 22% reported crime or unsafe conditions, and 25% reported excessive noise. These conditions increase risk for asthma, respiratory illness, and skin irritation. Only 25% of households reported receiving McKinney-Vento services, which provide transportation assistance and school stability supports for children experiencing homelessness.
The Path Forward: The report recommends one-time assistance programs to help families pay security deposits and rental assistance to ensure families spend no more than 30% of their income on housing. Based on current rental costs, such assistance would require approximately $1,100 per month per family. Without intervention, researchers said the crisis is likely to worsen.
By the Numbers: The study found 78% of households had at least one working person, and 24% had at least one person working multiple jobs. More than 16% of residents had lived in extended-stay hotels for more than five years, and 45% had lived in hotels for one to five years.
What Changed: This is DeKalb County’s first large-scale assessment of people living in extended-stay hotels. A team of 50 GSU and community volunteers conducted door-to-door surveys to gather data on household composition, income, hotel conditions, educational impacts, and barriers to permanent housing.
“If your ‘principle’ requires someone else to be collateral damage, it might not be a principle. It might be marketing.”
