Between 25-30 residents are estimated to have been displaced due to the closure of the Town Motel at 1708 W. Third St.

The motel closed recently after The Town of Farmville cited that the motel received multiple property maintenance and building code violations.

According to documentation provided by the town, the motel had been determined as an unsafe structure, defined by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) as “dangerous to the health, safety and welfare of the occupants of the structure or the public, (ii) that contains unsafe equipment, or (iii) that is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe or of such faulty construction or unstable foundation that partial or complete collapse is likely. A vacant existing structure unsecured or open shall be deemed to be an unsafe structure.”

An 11-page letter dated Sept. 18 and signed by Building Official Phillip Moore was sent to the motel detailing the violations found at the motel. An addendum to the letter was delivered, dated Sept. 21, citing that the water source from the motel was not connected with the town’s water supply.

Reported violations from the motel detailed in the letter included peeling paint, missing siding, missing or non-functioning smoke alarms, lack of gutters or drainage, evidence of extension cord use and multi-use outlets for rooms not intended for long-term stay, posing a potential fire hazard, several rooms where the bathtubs were used for storage, a refrigerator that was draining onto the floor, with spoiled content inside of the refrigerator and “roaches and insects crawling in and around the refrigerator,” and evidence of insect and rodent activity in one of the units.

Roma Morris, director of the Prince Edward County Department of Social Services, said the department and STEPS have been collaborating to rehouse residents affected by the motel closing.

Farmville Town Manager Gerald Spates and Morris estimate that between 25-30 residents resided at the motel, and STEPS director of planning and resource development Amy Beatson said STEPS has records of assisting approximately 22 households affected by the closure.

Morris said some of the motel residents were able to stay with family members, some residents needed assisted living care, some went to shelters and some stayed or were placed in hotels until other housing became available.

“It’s been very difficult,” Morris said. “Between the social workers here and the STEPS folks, we have worked very diligently for the last week in trying to find housing. And affordable housing particularly, is not easy to find.” 

Justine Young, executive director of Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) and Jordan Miles, director of transportation and nutrition, said PSR did help residents at the motel who were ages 60 and over. 

Young said the lack of notice about the closure meant that they had to help some of the residents have housing the night that they received the call.

Miles said two individuals who had been assisted previously with the agency’s home delivery meal program, received temporary housing arrangements. One of those assisted was a veteran.

Beatson said the organization first became involved with the residents approximately a week before the closure between Oct. 8-9.

Beatson said STEPS and the Prince Edward Department of Social Services met with tenants of the Town Motel on three different occasions in order to give them information on resources that would be available through the Virginia Home Solutions program and resources made available through social services.

“We were able to provide transportation to out of town shelters for some folks that wanted to take advantage of that,” Beatson said, “and also were able to provide prevention services through DHCD to provide some funding to rehouse some folks. Now there are a lot of regulations that go around that, so some were eligible for that, some weren’t interested in that, kind of thing. So that’s the kind of resources we were able to provide.”

Beatson said Johns Memorial Episcopal Church in Farmville took up a collection to support people displaced after the motel closed. 

“For the faith-based community to step forward and join us in our efforts to support these individuals was wonderful,” Beatson said.

The Very Rev. Nancy Meck, rector of Johns Memorial, said the church was notified of the motel closing from Sam Rabon of Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity and the Rev. Tom Robinson from Farmville Presbyterian Church. Meck said seeing the community helping one another after Tropical Storm Michael inspired the congregation to offer support.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael we’ve witnessed just how much it means to have people we don’t even know lend a helping hand,” Meck said. “God willing, our contribution can give someone in need a helping hand when that person most needs it. We know that with God all things are possible and we pray that suitable housing can be found quickly. Just as we as a community have been given new life and a sense of hope through the fellowship of friends known and unknown who came to our aid, we pray that each man, woman and child can feel that love and know that God has a future and hope for each one of them.”

For residents and other faith groups interested in donating, Beatson and Morris encouraged people to consider financial donations.

“There’s so much that can be done, for example, monetary assistance is always needed,” Morris said. “If we have to put them up in hotels, we don’t have a lot of funds for that. That is something that is not funded as far as housing through the department of social services. STEPS has some rehousing money that they’re using to help pay for housing until they get their next month’s check because they were moved mid-month so they had already paid the rent for the month and didn’t have other money to go to pay for rent and that kind of thing.”

“We used the funds that Johns Memorial Episcopal Church took up on Sunday to meet some of the needs of folks that need their power on, they need to pay for application fees for places that they’re looking at to rent, that kind of thing,” Beatson said. “So it just helps us to be able to meet the needs that they have when they don’t have the money to do those kinds of things. Lots of times I think people get into a situation where they’re living like at the town motel and they don’t have to pay utilities, but when they move somewhere else they have to have utilities cut on, and they have to pay deposits, and all that, so it’s quite a thing to make a move unexpectedly. It’s quite expensive.”

The Prince Edward County Department of Social Services can be reached at (434) 392-3113, PSR can be reached at (434) 767-5588 or (800) 995-6918, and STEPS can be reached at (434) 315-5909.