Officials discuss converting extended-stay hotels, transitional housing and wraparound services

Representative Mary Margaret Oliver raised the issue of extended-stay hotels and parents and children living there, saying the county needs help converting hotel rooms into permanent housing for families and individuals.

"There are 4,000 to 6,000 that are living in these extended stay hotels now in DeKalb County with thousands of children trying to go to school from a hotel room," Representative Oliver said, pressing county leaders to pursue conversions and protections for those residents.

Dr. Alan Ferguson responded that the county has pursued conversion and transitional models: he cited Park 500 as an example where the housing authority set aside 60 units for transitional housing and said the county is reviewing models that convert extended-stay hotels to single-room-occupancy or studio units for individuals while seeking better transitional housing for families. Ferguson stressed conversions must be paired with wraparound services, including behavioral health and employment supports, to be effective.

County officials also mentioned existing shelter capacity and triage protocols for emergency housing and said they are working with housing authorities and service providers to scale appropriate interventions rather than rely solely on short-term hotel stays.