Our next customer spotlight is on Donita Rae Billingsley, who came to Atlanta 17 years ago from Kansas City, Missouri, with her two children and former husband.
Billingsley and her husband had a passion for the hospitality industry and wanted to open up a new restaurant in the city. With a sad turn of events, her husband passed away from lung cancer. Soon after, Billingsley was going through the struggles of being a single mom while working long hours as a teacher in Virginia Highlands. In need of more income, she also started up a successful side business to outsource nannies.
"I didn't think about it. I just thought about my children, and they needed me." said Billingsley. "I wanted things to be better for them financially and mentally."
Last year, however, she had to take a leave of absence after she got hurt on the job with a torn meniscus. At the time, she was renting out a house in Eastland which had major electrical problems that caused the power to overheat. "It was too dangerous to live there and the owner wouldn't fix the issues," said Billingsley.
While looking for a new home, she heard about Economy Hotel from her niece who was living at the hotel. "It's much more preferable to signing a fixed lease term," explains Billingsley, who enjoys the flexibility of "pay as you go." With all utilities included, it became a deal that she "couldn't pass up."
She hopes to see more affordable housing deals, such as Economy Hotel, in Atlanta. "Ten years ago, I could find a place to rent for $800-$900. Now it costs up to $3,000 to live in a nice, affordable area" said Billingsley.
She went on to describe the vicious cycle of poverty so many Atlantans find themselves trapped in before coming to the hotel. "I've talked to people here. It just takes one disagreement with their landlord to be evicted, and one eviction could mess you up for years because you can't get into another lease agreement. There's no 'second chance' rental agreement program," said Billingsley. "We have a lot of people who were in that situation before coming to Economy Hotel."
Billingsley moved to the hotel in 2019, and brought her daughter and mother to live with her. Her mom was previously living in a care home. "She wasn't getting adequate care and it was way too expensive," said Billingsley.
Nowadays while healing from her injury and spending quality time with her mom, Billingsley is saving up enough to own her own home, and exploring her passion for painting.
