Flagstaff motels will soon be transformed into temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness.
On April 18, Flagstaff Shelter Services received $8.95 million in U.S. Rescue Programs Act funds from the Arizona Department of Housing to purchase and restore Motel 6 at 2440 E. Lucky Lane.
The Forest Highlands Foundation, the non-profit organization of Forest Highlands Golf Club, also provided funding.
Called The Lantern, the project will have 103 private rooms for homeless individuals and families, and will include services such as meals, medical care and housing assistance. It is scheduled to open in December.
“Flagstaff Shelter Services believes in the power of housing, and this model moves the needle in a significant way that has the potential to end homelessness for hundreds of Arizona neighbors,” said Flagstaff Shelter. Services executive director Ross Schaefer said in a press release. .
Staffed by Flagstaff Shelter Services 24/7, other organizations also provide services. This includes Native Americans for Community Action, North Country Health Care, Guidance Center, Southwest Behavior and Health Services, Coconino County Pathways Program, Flagstaff Families. food center.
After operating as temporary housing, it will eventually become permanent support housing.
Flagstaff has long suffered from a shortage of affordable housing. With a population of about 77,000, the city has a significant number of short-term rental housing and vacation homes, bordering on public land that limits development. In 2020, the Flagstaff City Council officially declared a housing emergency. The city then Housing 10-year plan February 2022.
The Lantern isn’t Flagstaff’s first hotel-converted home. In 2022, Flagstaff Shelter Services purchased his 58-room Howard Johnson Motel (now The Crown) on Route 66. The $6.19 million purchase was also made possible by the state’s ARPA funds.
Joan Service, director of the Arizona Department of Housing, said in a press release about The Lantern: “We remain committed to securing homes for all Arizonans statewide.”
Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness in the Republic of Arizona.she can be reached at jrihl@arizonarepublic.com or on twitter @julietterihl.
Azcentral.com and its coverage of housing insecurity in the Republic of Arizona are supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.
