A devastating Opelika Auburn (OA) news article appeared last week. I nearly missed the gravity and severity of the story because I glanced at the headline about a local hotel shutting down and did not read further. The article described a small, extended stay-type hotel closing after the Alabama State Fire Marshall intervened and rendered it unsafe. Attached to each door was an eviction notice giving 24 hours to vacate the room and property. https://oanow.com/news/local/hotel-housing-shut-down-opelika-fire-safety/article_516b8fc4-6f84-11ef-82db-ab1ea7dc39ef.html
What’s the problem besides an inconvenience and maybe the hotel must reimburse the customers? Unfortunately, many were using the hotel as their home. Due to few affordable rental properties and the high, upfront costs of purchasing a home, many of these people, single parent moms and some single men were using this hotel as a house and paying a whopping $325/week. The equivalent of a four-bedroom home at fair market rental values. (https://www.ushousingdata.com/fair-market-rents/lee-county-al)
This story reveals the secret lurking in our growing towns, loveliest villages, and plains. We have a housing crisis. Political discourse at the national level is focusing on this problem. Alabama needs at least 90,000 more affordable rental units to meet the housing demand. Dilapidated hotels have become a solution for some families at a high price. I found it staggering to learn that Alabama is building only four houses per every 1000 people annually. No wonder! I may see all of this development around me, but it is not keeping pace, and the production is not primarily for this group of low (and even now middle) income people, like those sheltered in this hotel.
ARM’s niche is in renovation and owner-occupied home repairs. This allows people to age in place and remain in their homes. Furthermore, when we can renovate abandoned homes (like our current project in Tuskegee) and restore uninhabitable houses into affordable homes. Engaging our community in this service by volunteering keeps real people, not just statistics, in front of us. It breeds empathy and compassion and replaces judgment and misinformation about people living in crisis.
Although a difficult story, we are grateful the local leadership in Opelika coupled with some churches worked to help these displaced families temporarily. But some, according to articles, are out on the streets or shacking up in unlivable spaces. I say we keep our towns and villages lovely. Let’s keep Alabama sweet. As a side note, laws, policies, and ordinances about housing and housing production are made at the city and county levels. What can you do?
- If we want to see more affordable housing, this is one place where we can advocate. Attend some of these meetings and learn how decisions are being made and why.
- Learn how funds for housing are being used and participate in public surveys to share your thoughts. Here is one for Auburn: Community Planning Survey
- Come volunteer with home repair or building homes through Habitat and Fuller Center.
Let’s work to ensure everyone has a warm, safe, dry, and affordable home! Let’s do this by loving our neighbor as ourselves and living by the Golden Rule. I hope you will join us as we continue daily repairing homes for our grandmothers, single moms, those with disabilities, and more. As Jesus said, our neighbors.
Announcement: Join us on Sunday, September 29th from 1pm-4pm for a home repair crew leader training. This will equip you to organize a team of home repair volunteers from your church or organization. Some knowledge of basic home repair preferred but not necessary. Then plug into service days on October 5th and November 9th.
Crew leader training
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