Orlando motel closure leaves families homeless with nowhere to go

Orlando motel closure leaves families homeless with nowhere to go

Families who had been living at a Howard Johnson motel on International Drive are scrambling for shelter after the city deemed the building uninhabitable and ordered everyone to leave.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Families who had been living at a Howard Johnson motel on International Drive are scrambling for shelter after the city deemed the building uninhabitable and ordered everyone to leave.

What we know:

Families living at the Howard Johnson motel on International Drive were forced out after the city of Orlando declared the building uninhabitable. 

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Officials cited unpaid utility bills that led to water, gas and electricity shutoffs, along with the lack of a working fire alarm system. Residents were given five days to vacate, leaving many suddenly homeless.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear whether the motel’s owners will be held accountable for the sudden displacement, or if residents will receive any compensation for the money already paid in rent. City officials have not outlined long-term housing options for those affected.

The backstory:

For many families, the motel has become their only affordable housing option, with some paying around $1,400 a month for multiple rooms. The property’s decline, combined with financial mismanagement, ultimately pushed it past the point of safe occupancy, triggering the shutdown.

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