People at Economy Hotel in Roswell running out of time to move out
Economy Hotel residents scrambling to move out
Residents of the Economy Hotel in Roswell are scrambling to move out and find a new place to live after the city decided to close the hotel for safety reasons.
ROSWELL, Ga. - Residents of the Economy Hotel in Roswell are being forced to relocate after the city ordered the building shut down due to serious safety concerns and recent criminal activity.
PREVIOUS: City of Roswell shutting down Economy Hotel due to safety violations
What we know:
The city ordered the hotel’s closure on Tuesday, giving residents until Saturday to vacate. The decision followed an inspection that uncovered a long list of safety concerns, including electrical and structural issues.
The closure also comes just days after six men were arrested in a sex trafficking case at the hotel involving two young girls.
What they're saying:
"Just trying to find a new place to move to," Bamba Diop said.
A few days ago, Diop said police knocked on his door at the Economy Hotel and told him he had to be out by Saturday. He had only been staying there for a couple of days.
"It's a horrible experience. It's not a good hotel. Places like this should not be allowed to function," Diop said.
"When you become aware of a situation where a building may have some serious issues, you want to move people as quickly as possible," Roswell City Administrator Randy Knighton said.
City leaders say they developed a multi-agency plan to help residents before Tuesday’s order. Teams have been at the hotel connecting with residents, some of whom have lived there for months or years.
"Every single day we go door to door as well as call any phone numbers and any contacts that we have," Chief Pabel Troche with the Roswell Fire Department said.
"They're going to housing throughout not just the city but outside of the city, and some of that has to do with their electing to be closer to family," he added.
The city partnered with The Drake House to help families find new housing.
"The city met the immediate need, which is some financial assistance, by contributing $25,000 immediately through The Drake House for this specific cause," Chief Troche said.
The Fulton County School District also worked to assist the 22 students living at the hotel to ensure they can still finish out the school year.
"We're in the last couple of weeks of school, and it's important to not interrupt their learning as much as possible. For the housing, we try to make sure that they're maintaining housing in the district so that they still have the same teachers for the remainder of the school year," Roswell Police Chief James Conroy added.
What you can do:
The city says the greatest need right now is financial assistance. You can donate through The Drake House by clicking here.