As I discussed our upcoming move with my children, I returned to a question they have often asked me over the years: “Why do people end up homeless?”
My typical response was an explanation of addiction, mental health issues, lack of resources or family. But living as a single mother in 2024 has made me realize that these aren’t the only paths to homelessness. “We have grandma and grandpa, and you have dad’s house, so we’re not going to be homeless right now. But not everyone has family to turn to. If I don’t have family, I don’t have any other options.” And that’s true. I don’t have the salary, savings, or credit score to secure a home in this market.
“This is how people become homeless,” I said. I wanted my children to know that our new environment was not normal.
My landlord decided to sell the house I was renting.
Our search for a new home began when my landlord announced plans to sell the house I was renting and demanded that I move out within 30 days.
For six years, I rented a charming three-bedroom home at a fixed rent of $1,700 per month. For a family on one income, paying the rent was certainly a struggle, but I always found a way.
After receiving my eviction notice, I faced a housing crisis. Rental properties in our town were limited, and monthly rents were skyrocketing. I was considering downsizing to a two-bedroom condo or apartment that would have cost nearly double the rent. I’d been resourceful and creative over the years about saving paycheck to paycheck, but scraping together $1,000 a month out of thin air was just not possible.
After a frustrating search for a rental and a time crunch, I found a small apartment on the grounds of a local hotel on the outskirts of the town I was living in. Of course, it was only a temporary solution, but I’m so glad I found it.
And this was our only option, or at least the only option that didn’t require us to live with family (which my parents generously offered).
The kids were worried about what their friends would think.
Still, I understood that my kids might not be too keen on moving from the only place they’d ever known. I wasn’t surprised when they sighed in dismay at the idea of downsizing to a two-bedroom apartment. And as true teenagers, they were a little concerned about what others would think of our nontraditional housing. “Whenever we’re there, we turn off Snap Maps,” one of them joked.
The author took her three children and moved into a hotel room. Photo provided by the author
I felt defeated and like a failure, but at the same time I was grateful and proud of my tenacity, creativity, and resourcefulness. Faced with nowhere to go, I didn’t give up. Every day I searched and prayed, trusting that I would find a place to sleep at night. When we finally found temporary housing in a hotel, I understood why my children were overwhelmed by their unconventional situation, but I also knew we should be grateful. We were certainly among the lucky ones in this tough housing market.
“This is how people become homeless,” I said, not knowing if my kids understood what I was saying. I know that while they were sad to say goodbye to their beloved home, neighbors, and dream location, they were also excited about the adventure of hotel living. And they learned that home isn’t about how many bedrooms you have, what street you live on, or what’s in your closet.
The author’s children love the hotel’s amenities.
We live in a new, minimalist, smaller apartment, and it’s truly our home, even if only for a short time. We go to the breakfast buffet early in the morning and make s’mores by the fireplace late at night. We stop by the hotel restaurant every Thursday night for trivia (where we’re known as “Buckloo”) and have the best time. On the weekends, we play ping pong and billiards and sweat it out in the sauna as a family. And we know how blessed we are.
When my kids say things like, “I can’t wait to see what winter is like here,” you can hear the excitement in their voices about what we’re doing, but I think they also know that this won’t be forever.
We don’t know exactly when we’ll move, and we have no idea where we’ll go (or how we’ll afford it), and yes, there are times when we’re anxious about what’s next, but we know that wherever we end up, it’s going to be our home.
