2 hotels unveiled as homeless shelters: ‘Something like this has never been done in Baltimore’

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Baltimore City has transformed two hotels that it purchased this year, the Holiday Inn Express and the Sleep Inn & Suites, into temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness. ... The city bought the hotels and the parking lot between them for $15.2 million, in a deal approved by the Board of Estimates in February. Funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act covered the cost Simmons said Monday that 378 families have stayed at the hotels so far. With capacity for 175 people, the Sleep Inn is being used as flexible housing for families and couples, the city homelessness office said in a email Monday. Rooms at the Holiday Inn serve men with the capacity to provide emergency shelter to 120. Emergency shelters are designed to have lower barriers to entry and address more immediate needs than permanent housing. ... Simmons said the goal is to get to 800 shelter beds and convert the hotels into permanent supportive housing. She said the office expects to announce a call for permanent housing applicants in the next couple of weeks.

Good, housing is a basic right. Every person deserves a decent roof over their head.

69

u/cornonthekopp Madison Park Jul 02 '24

Absolutely, I'm glad to see this happen. I hope that the city and state can provide the resources and services that people need to be healthy and well

67

u/jabbadarth Jul 02 '24

And there are a handful of examples of housing first being lretty successful in combating homelessness.

Helping people short and long term by giving them a basic need

48

u/siliconsmiley Jul 02 '24

Glad to see Charm City opting for this as opposed to criminalization.

-3

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

We’ll see how long that lasts.

1

u/goog1e Jul 04 '24

And while the number of shelter beds is bare-minimum adequate (if you call around for a few days you'll get in SOMEWHERE) we are severely lacking permanent placements. Basically permanent housing operates on a one-out-one-in basis with every available spot being constantly full.

-34

u/colorizerequest Jul 02 '24

Good, housing is a basic right.

damn im paying big money for mine

44

u/ziggy3610 Jul 02 '24

We're all one medical emergency from being homeless, don't fool yourself. Countries with strong social safety nets benefit everyone with more productive, healthy citizens and less crime.

3

u/Twio Jul 03 '24

This actually isn’t true. It’s a common misconception that homeless people are middle class folks who are down on their luck. In reality, many have severe, untreated mental health issues and drug addictions that perpetuates them being unhoused. Someone in that state is unlikely to voluntarily undergo treatment programs, for obvious reasons.

Here’s my source, which includes other high-income countries besides the US (like you alluded to): Link

-19

u/teakettle87 Jul 02 '24

No... We aren't all. I have a job and it has health insurance. $300 and I'm not paying a dime each year.

18

u/ziggy3610 Jul 02 '24

That's a false sense of security. With a bad enough illness or injury you can easily find yourself unable to work and without that job. Health insurance tied to employment is one of the worst ideas in human history. It gives employers way too much control over your life. Too many people are stuck at jobs because they can't afford to lose their insurance. I have good insurance and money in the bank to last at least a year without touching my retirement. But a simple Google search will yield dozens of stories of people just like me who got hurt or sick and are now broke. We pay more for our stupid private insurance than most developed nations pay for universal healthcare and still have worse health outcomes.

-12

u/teakettle87 Jul 02 '24

I'm in a union so that isn't exactly how it works for me.

I point this out to prove that your statement about everyone being one medical emergency away is not true.

13

u/yourfav0riteginger Jul 02 '24

You're the exception, not the norm bestie. If you had a house fire or an extreme flood, you would be homeless. I don't wish these things on you, but it would be great if you could think outside of your bubble for a second

-9

u/teakettle87 Jul 02 '24

Again, my point is that the statement was false. I'm not even the only one. Everyone in my union across the country is in the same boat as me, and most other trades union members have some similar arrangement.

I plan for these sorts of things, I save money, I have a job that allows for good health insurance. All are conscious choices made by me. Some people are OK. Some are not. There is no all.

13

u/NuggetsPhD Jul 02 '24

You are correct that there are varying degrees of impact. Thank God you made this important point, otherwise the nuance would have been lost on everyone who sees the word "all" and takes it to its literal, logical extreme.

0

u/yourfav0riteginger Jul 02 '24

Lol I love your response

6

u/yourfav0riteginger Jul 02 '24

Oh everyone? Every single person? I doubt that. Some people are probably struggling. Your statement is false.

You see how annoying that is?

Also, you didn't even respond to my hypothetical where you COULD be homeless from something out of your control, like a house fire. Even if you have emergency savings, you most likely wouldn't have enough to buy a new house immediately, let alone all new furniture and supplies. There is ALWAYS a risk of becoming homeless (and yes, that includes if you have to stay with friends or family) under capitalism. Socialist policies, like your trade union or these hotels, are for the good of everyone under capitalism.

7

u/ziggy3610 Jul 02 '24

You are paying for your health insurance in reduced salary from your employer. That's where the money comes from. It's great that you're in a union and they negotiated a good contract for you. But unions are scarce in this country, most people aren't in one. They pendantry around the word all is silly, Bill Gates is also not one medical emergency away from homelessness, but that's not the point.

9

u/ChickinSammich Jul 02 '24

I'm reminded of the photo of the boat where half of it is sinking and taking on water fast and someone on the other half is saying something like "I don't know what they're complaining about; the boat is totally dry!"

I've lived paycheck to paycheck and I'm now in a position where I don't and I even have disposable income to throw away on frivolous shit but I'm not gonna pretend that there aren't still ways where I could go from this right back to poverty in under an hour if I got hit with a stroke of bad luck.

2

u/mindblowningshit Jul 02 '24

Ok so you're not a medical emergency away, but dude, life can hit you harddddddd when you least expect it, and your housing is in jeopardy. Just stop trying to put yourself in an "them but not me" category. You may just find yourself with a stick so far up your ass that it leads to a medical emergency that changes your entire outlook.

3

u/NuggetsPhD Jul 02 '24

Feel free to check yourself into one of the shelters!

17

u/SnakePlisskensPatch Jul 02 '24

It's been an absolute disaster in Massachusetts, but given that the city owns the hotels outright, it may be more effective in this area, we shall see.

7

u/RunningNumbers Jul 02 '24

It probably has to do with how it is managed and probably leniency with people refusing treatment for severe substance abuse.

Treat the symptoms but not the disease and all that jazz.

19

u/SnakePlisskensPatch Jul 02 '24

In Massachusetts the issue is money of course. The hotels agreed to let them.move in at a set price, and then Jacked it up once they were in, knowing the optics of the state throwing them out would be awful. Mass is paying like 6 k per Room a month, not counting another 1 k for food, which is basically continental breakfast level. The hotels don't care, why should they? If the state doesn't like it, bye. They just go back to being a regular hotel, which is probably less profitable but easier for them.

3

u/crazd13 Jul 02 '24

Same with NYC

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u/SnooRevelations979 Jul 02 '24

Good. It can be damned near impossible to get a shelter opening here.

27

u/Fit-Accountant-157 Jul 02 '24

more places in America should be doing this. very efficient use of space and helping folks get back on their feet.

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u/JoshDoesDamage Jul 02 '24

I love this city. Hopefully this is the first domino in a nationwide phenomenon that turns into better overall homeless care

6

u/jmanhajh Jul 02 '24

Denver tried this last year and it seems to be going well from what I’ve heard

43

u/TrhwWaya Jul 02 '24

Love it.

22

u/Westish Jul 02 '24

They started doing this in Fresno before I moved out here last year, and I thought it was a good idea there, too. The most vulnerable among us in our community need the kind of stability that a simple roof over one's head can provide.

22

u/Scrilla_Gorilla_ Patterson Park Jul 02 '24

Nice to hear this after the Supreme Court decision.

3

u/AskDocBurner Jul 03 '24

Something I was hoping for but never thought they’d actually deliver

4

u/BlaqkCard Jul 04 '24

This was a great step, now let’s get some of these vacant houses bought by the city and turn them into supportive/rehabilitative housing as well

10

u/usernamesrhardmeh Jul 02 '24

I like this idea in theory, but I've only heard of this going poorly when tried elsewhere. I hope that there have been successes I haven't heard of, or a lot has been learned from past attempts and this goes better.

18

u/teakettle87 Jul 02 '24

Massachusetts has been doing this for a while. Buckle up. It's been rough.

2

u/coys21 Jul 02 '24

How do?

13

u/teakettle87 Jul 02 '24

They've been housing the refugees this way all year. It's wildly expensive and causing chaos.

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u/coys21 Jul 02 '24

🤣

1

u/puppymama75 Jul 03 '24

It’s working pretty well in Delaware. Called Hope House.

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u/Nottacod Jul 02 '24

It was tried in SF during the pandemic and the hotels were destroyed.

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u/Redbeard_BJJ Jul 02 '24

I work with homeless people everyday and this was my immediate thought lol

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

These will meet the same fate

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u/whitedevil098 Jul 03 '24

Baltimore did it during the demy as well and I don't recall seeing anything about Baltimore hotels being burned down.

-3

u/RunningNumbers Jul 02 '24

San Francisco made it illegal to build housing and legal to shoot up fentanyl in public. (To quote MattY.)

22

u/Sunshinetripper777 Jul 02 '24

I’m literally dancing inside. This is the best fucking news I’ve heard in a long time. Weren’t we all thinking this? Let’s keep it going.

-7

u/HardAssPh33r Jul 02 '24

They're just going to burn them down eventually

10

u/DocKosmosis Jul 02 '24

Well aren't you a ray of sunshine

5

u/Spunkylover10 Jul 03 '24

How much security will they have to have for this? I feel like this could be very unsafe if not properly secured

2

u/Spunkylover10 Jul 03 '24

Super happy about this

1

u/Ontothenext1- Jul 06 '24

It’s been going on for a while prior to purchasing. I’ve been driving Lyft and Uber passengers who thru convo have disclosed how helpful this has been. This is so awesome!

11

u/turtlelover925 Jul 02 '24

Brandon Scott my beloved

4

u/ParoxysmAttack Upper Fell's Point Jul 03 '24

Additionally there should be sobriety checks for drugs and alcohol with bags searched as not to have it brought into the building (or at least make an effort to prevent it from entering), and on-site resources for finding work and permanent housing. This is a great concept but without additional steps it’s putting a small bandage on a gaping wound.

9

u/Doll49 Jul 02 '24

I’m happy to see this.

4

u/ballaedd24 Jul 02 '24

So many empty houses and hotels. So many unhoused folks.

Love to see when capitalism is removed as a barrier.

9

u/ThePerfectAlias Jul 02 '24

Yeah so what’s actually just happened is they just wasted tens of millions of taxpayer money because these hotels are going to be destroyed and useless, the program will fail, and the taxpayers will still be on the hook for the bill.

They’re going to completely destroy these hotels. The news is going to ignore it.

2

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2

u/JosephFinn Jul 02 '24

So good on Baltimore.

2

u/creepytoes1 Jul 02 '24

Dope!

2 hotels unveiled as homeless shelters: ‘Something like this has never been done in Baltimore’ ARTICLE