Housing Advocates Concerned About Impact NC Bill Would Have On People Living At Long Term Hotels

CHARLOTTE, NC – A small part of a North Carolina regulatory omnibus bill is gaining attention from housing advocates. A section of House Bill 366 would reclassify people staying in long term hotels as “transient guests” for the first 90 days.

The move is drawing some concern for local advocates who say people may lose some protections from eviction. .

“It’s very stressful. It’s an added pressure,” said Ethiopia Williams. She has lived in a long term hotel for the last 3 years.

“They’re just trying to make it. You know what I mean. And I think something as basic as a roof over your head shouldn’t be this difficult to obtain,” said Williams.

She says a layoff during Covid and an eviction on her record has made finding a more stable living situation difficult.

“At this point I can’t get past working on survival mode. Because it’s just a matter of just meeting those, just barely meeting what you have to do,” said Williams.

“For some people, that’s their only option,” said Liana Humphrey, with Crisis Assistance Ministry.

She says North Carolina House Bill 366 would make it easier for hotel owners to evict tenants within the first 90 days of their stay; without having to go through the court eviction process.

“It could mean that overnight, a lot of families find themselves without a place to call home,” said Humphrey.

She says the impact could be felt by the more than 1100 CMS students who call hotel rooms home.

Since the beginning of Covid, Crisis Assistance Ministry has given out more than $1M  for rent help to about 1500 families living in 65 hotels.

“It’s about bad actors who are doing damage to rooms. In some cases they’re assaulting workers in the front desk,” explained Rep John Bradford, of Mecklenburg County.

Bradford co-sponsored the bill. He says It simply returns operations to pre-pandemic ways. And that it clarifies what law enforcement can and can’t do when it comes to disruptive guests.

“There is sort of this false narrative going around that seems like, a hotelier can just remove someone at will. It would only be a violation of the contract,” said Bradford.

The bill is currently in the rules committee.