Approximately 2,600 children in Tarrant County were living in motels during the 2020-21 school year, according to a recent report, more than double the 1,110 of five years ago.
The report, called “Hidden Homeless: Families Living in Motels” and compiled by the Center for Transforming Lives (CTL), asserts that the number of Tarrant County children who call a motel home has increased in large part due to the higher cost of renting a home, long waiting lists for apartments, and a decrease in quality childcare.
It also notes that the number could be much higher, as COVID hindered efforts to record families’ living situations.
CTL refers to the children living under these circumstances “the hidden homeless.” Based on data from the Texas Education Agency, CTL noted about half of these children are younger than 6.
The center releases the report to increase awareness of the number of children living in motels and suggest what can be done to put some families in permanent housing.
When families move to a motel, it often starts as a short-term fix until their families can get back on their feet. About one-third of the 70 families surveyed in the report have resided in a motel for more than six months as they wait for permanent housing.
Around 25% of families in the study have lived in motels for more than a year.
The report details some of the obstacles families face when trying to obtain housing.
It reads, “[F]amilies experiencing homelessness face unique challenges compared to single adults, including lack of affordable childcare, space for families, and added resources to support a family.”
Further, CTL’s study illustrates that many families do not make enough money to pay a deposit and the first month’s rent. Exacerbated by a decrease in the number of available rental homes, a motel is often the only safe place they can live.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development defines homelessness in the U.S. as a lack of a fixed or regular residence at night. Those who live in motels and have a bed and a somewhat fixed location are usually not considered homeless by federal standards.
The report concludes, “In the interest of reduced childhood trauma, increased workforce participation for parents, and greater opportunity for success in school for children, we should look upstream to serve these families where they are, rather than waiting until they slip into unsheltered homelessness.”
