What if the worst thing that ever happened to you turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to you?
We don’t know if one or several or most of the people who had to vacate The Budgetel Inn in East Ridge in November would say that, but we were struck by a comment by Mackenzie Kelly, deputy director for the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition.
“A lot of families have been housed that were just living in extended stay to extended stay to extended stay,” she told Local 3 News. “Ultimately I think for a lot of folks, it gave them the opportunity for housing that they would not have gotten if they would have still been in the Budgetel.”
Since that November day, the homeless coalition and multiple partners have been able to get 69 families — out of a total of 141 needing assistance to avoid homelessness — into permanent housing. Meanwhile, 56 families were able to find housing on their own.
That leaves perhaps 16 families still looking for permanent housing. They may be staying in hotels or left the area or may be on the street.