Residents at the Mosley Motel in St. Petersburg, many of them low income families, were served eviction notices this week following the motel's purchase by new owners.
- Among those evicted are students at nearby elementary schools
- Pinellas County currently serves more than 3,000 homeless students
- District offers services to homeless families through HEAT program
“We got our walking papers basically,” said resident Mary Bell. “Telling us we have to leave the property by the 16th.”
Bell has four children, three of them attending nearby elementary schools. While Bell plans to find a new place to live, she worries others will be left with nowhere to turn for help.
“Sure, there’s a lot of us that are going to make our own way,” Bell said. “But there’s a lot more people in here that are just totally lost.”
The Pinellas County School District currently serves more than 3,000 homeless students. The dozens of children living at the Mosley Motel already count towards that number, as do all students who reside in a motel or hotel.
District Spokesperson Lisa Wolf said the district is aware of the situation at the motel. The district offers services to its homeless families through its HEAT Program, which includes two social workers. The program offers families referrals to local community resources and aids with bus transportation, free meals and school supplies.
Bell said those are all things she and other parents will take advantage of if they are still living within Pinellas County come end of September.
“You never know,” said Bell. “Right now everything is so up in the air.”