PHOENIX — For those struggling to find housing, things just got more difficult.
Not everyone can afford to rent an apartment or own a home. So, some stay in motels or hotels and in many cases the daily cost to do that is about to double, triple, or even higher, ahead of the Super Bowl.
AZ Hugs for the Houseless, a Valley organization, is stepping up to help.
“Beyond the flashing lights and the big game, there are real people with real families in dire situations that are going to be negatively affected,” said Austin Davis, founder of the organization.
“AZ Hugs is a community organization here in the valley. We provide daily street outreach to those experiencing homelessness,” he added.
Davis says the calls they get from families facing housing insecurities have gone up significantly, and some are from people unable to afford where they are staying because of the Super Bowl.
“Right now with the Super Bowl, every couple days the prices are going up and up and up. You know, the hotel that I paid for, for somebody yesterday was about $150-$160. And my team and I were just looking and it’s supposed to go up even further, you know by next Friday we were seeing prices around $500 for a motel,” Davis told ABC15.
Recently, Davis received a text asking for help.
“Good morning, Austin. I have a family that is in need of some help. They’ve been living in extended stay hotels, but because of the price increases due to the Super Bowl, they’ve been priced out of all the hotels in the area,” he said.
Luzdelia Caballero: When you read messages like that, does it sink in that there are dozens of other families that are going to message you all in need of help?
Davis responded, “Yeah definitely. I mean, you know, seeing a text like that makes you realize how many other families are facing this problem that we haven’t been connected with."
AZ Hugs continues doing the utmost to help, even brainstorming temporary solutions.
“Our AZ Hugs team with the Aris Foundation, we’re working to figure out a solution for this week. Trying to figure out, is the solution having a motel room that we share with multiple families?” Davis added.
Currently, they are trying to set up a crisis respite center to provide emergency housing and services to those who need it most.
There are a number of things they need in order to help others.
“No matter what it is, we’re just looking for any sort of RV or trailer that’s moveable and could be placed in a parking lot and can be renovated,” said Davis.
Adding these price hikes is going to make Super Bowl week a difficult one for many families without permanent housing.
“It’s really important for us to have these conversations surrounding the Super Bowl so we know these people are parts of our community and we need to come together and look out for our most vulnerable populations," Davis said.
AZ Hugs oftentimes posts on their Instagram account when there is someone in need.
Davis tells ABC15 he’s thankful the community has always pitched in to help and is confident they will continue to do so in the days, weeks, and years to come.
