Motel to Home Program
SVdP Georgia’s Motel to Home program was created in response to a community need identified in the Norcross study: When Extended Stay Becomes Home and by the work of our volunteer caseworkers. This study documented what we have witnessed with our own eyes: extended stay motels have become the homeless shelters of the suburbs for many families for months and years on end. Even though most of them are working full-time, they often have no other alternative after an eviction because most property owners will not rent to a tenant who owes money to another property. They move in thinking it will be a temporary solution but become trapped as the high daily and weekly fees plus the local motel room taxes leaves them little money to save for paying off debt or for deposits on a new apartment.
Our Motel to Home program is a comprehensive model designed to help families move from extended-stay motels to more stable housing. We believe that safe and stable housing is the key leverage point for improving lives and achieving self-sufficiency by impacting:
- Intergenerational economic mobility
- Educational achievement
- Health and wellness
Note: SVdP Georgia does not provide housing, but our Motel to Home program can help with move-in costs, up to $2000, once housing has been found, and the program has funding. Once Caseworkers identify families who may qualify, have them fill out the application here.
Please email the program at m2h@svdpgeorgia.org and let them know the name of the family you are referring. M2H caseworkers will look for their application. Please note, the program receives over 100 applications per week. In order to prioritize Conference referrals, we need to know the name of the family applying.
The Model
Families living in extended stay motels face many barriers to stable housing. SVdP has partnered with the United Way of Greater Atlanta ,several corporate sponsors, and the Dekalb County Commissioners Office, to provide Motel to Home participants with a way to overcome these barriers through:
- A year of one-to-one Case Management with a SVdP caseworker to help them obtain stable housing.
Financial support for deposits and first month’s rent and the opportunity to obtain matching funds for savings accounts. - Education to give them skills to manage their personal finances, housing, career advancement, and personal development.
