Small children running and playing near the entrance of the Economy Hotel in Roswell on Thursday were seemingly unaware of the looming crisis: their families would soon be without a home.
Outside, staff from the Fulton Emergency Management Agency and the Roswell Fire Department helped keep the children engaged.
Inside, workers from The Drake House, a nonprofit supporting women and children experiencing homelessness, assisted residents as they packed their belongings.
For many, the Economy Hotel has been a last refuge and home to working families with nowhere else to go. But it has separately been known as a hub of crime, including sex trafficking.
By Saturday at 5 p.m., all residents must leave. The City of Roswell issued an order this week to shut down the hotel at 9995 Old Dogwood Road, citing extensive code violations ranging from exposed wiring and fire hazards to nonfunctioning boilers, mold, and severe water leaks. City photos show rust-streaked, water-stained walls and crumbling plaster.
“Our priority is the well-being of everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Roswell, and we will not tolerate these deplorable conditions in our city,” Mayor Kurt Wilson said in a statement.
The city is working to help residents relocate — contributing $25,000 to a fundraising drive managed by The Drake House — and leading those efforts, Roswell Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said.
Dozens of city staff, police, and fire personnel were assisting families with the move and carrying out boxes on Friday, she added.
Still, some residents worry the abrupt closure will disrupt the children’s school year. It’s estimated that the hotel had 200 occupants, including 50 children.
Marla Cureton, a resident supporting the fundraising effort, said shutting down the hotel is necessary, but the sudden eviction is unfair.
“This is people’s lives,” Cureton said. “Why not let the kids finish the school year? There are only two more weeks left. As aggressive as they are in addressing these horrible conditions, how about being just as aggressive in showing empathy and human treatment?”
Danny Wright, 64, said he has lived at the hotel intermittently for six years while working as a custodial employee at UPS. He’s endured broken fixtures, the loss of his television for half a year, and the daily risks of a place that he says has long been dangerous.
“I lived next door to sex trafficking, and I didn’t even know it,” Wright said, adding that shootings, overdoses, and arrests are common. He pays $325 per week and says hotel management has long known about the deteriorating conditions.
While visiting, the hotel location manager and security ordered SaportaReport to leave, and Area Manager Roget Sawant shouted profanities about the media as the reporter entered their vehicle.
Economy Hotel is owned by Stablegold Hospitality, which began acquiring Atlanta properties in 2011, according to its website.
Wright was critical of both the hotel company and broader societal neglect.
“You take money from lower-income [people], and go spend it in your neighborhood, and don’t spend it here,” he said of Economy Hotel.
Councilwoman Beeson said that prior to the shutdown order, Roswell’s Code Enforcement could only inspect the hotel’s common areas.
“I think the mayor has made it a point to not only address human trafficking but also improve living conditions,” Beeson said. “This is really just the beginning of that effort. We’re trying to do it with sensitivity, recognizing that these are people, families and residents who call Roswell home.”
She added, “It also speaks to the broader issue of housing affordability and access in north Fulton. For many, a low-cost hotel is the last resort.”
Yelling profanities at a reporter just proves he has no defensible case to make for ripping off the poor.
I was a girl det got trafficked fuck economy hotel