On Friday, I heard from a Guilford County Schools employee that there are a number of students living at the Coliseum Inn.  I already knew that there were children there, because we see them when we do outreach.   The City has bought the property and will be closing the motel.   City staff is exploring ways to assist those who will lose their housing when that happens.  I met with staff in early August when I first heard of the potential sale.

As of this morning, the Pathways Family Shelter had a waiting list of 35 families, which is an average 6-8 week wait for emergency shelter.  Greensboro has one other family shelter, GIHN, which can take about five families at a time, and it stays full, as well.  The Greensboro Housing Authority estimates the current wait time for public housing to be 6-12 months, and 12-24 months for the Section 8 program.  Affordable housing with private landlords is difficult to find.

So I’m wondering, even with good intentions and advance planning:  Where are the families and children who live at the Coliseum Inn going to go when it closes?  If there were someplace else for them to live, I think they’d probably already be there.

  • Share/Bookmark