DeKalb County’s Park 500 transitional housing program moves families from hotels into stable apartments

A new county-backed housing effort targets an often-overlooked form of homelessness

In DeKalb County, a growing number of families have been living for months—sometimes longer—in extended-stay hotels, a housing arrangement that can offer immediate shelter but rarely provides stability. Recent field research identified 4,664 people living full-time in extended-stay hotels across the county, including 1,635 children, underscoring the scale of need among households that may not appear in traditional homelessness counts.

The findings helped sharpen focus on a key barrier families face when trying to leave hotel living behind: the upfront costs and screening requirements tied to standard rentals. Past evictions, weak credit histories, and the inability to cover deposits can prevent families from securing a lease even when they have income, pushing them toward nightly or weekly hotel payments that can consume most of a paycheck.

From an eight-month hotel stay to keys before the holidays

One DeKalb mother, Kylisha Newberry, described living in a single hotel room for eight months with her 5-year-old daughter after losing access to an apartment and later being hit with a $17,000 eviction judgment—an amount that effectively blocked her from renting again. She said daily life in the hotel was defined by constraints that made routine parenting and home life difficult, including limited space and limited ability to cook.

Newberry ultimately moved into an apartment through a new transitional housing initiative known as Park 500. She learned about the program through a school counselor and received an approval call that led quickly to a move-in just before Christmas.

How Park 500 is structured

Park 500 is DeKalb County’s first county-owned transitional housing initiative designed specifically for families coming out of extended-stay hotels. In July 2025, county commissioners approved an $8 million investment to secure 60 units within a larger apartment community near Memorial Drive and Hambrick Road in Stone Mountain. The units are furnished and intended to provide short-term stability while families work toward permanent housing.

• 60 designated units within a 556-unit apartment property
• Move-in readiness focused on renovated, furnished family units
• Support services planned to include case management and connections to employment, health care, and childcare resources

Demand exceeds supply as the program reaches capacity

By December 2025, about 60 families had moved into Park 500, filling the initial allotment and creating a waitlist. Program leaders and county officials have characterized the move-ins as an early step, while the newly compiled data set is being used to frame additional recommendations for county action.

Families living in extended-stay hotels often face the same instability as other unhoused residents but can be missed by conventional reporting and resource systems.

County leaders have indicated that broader solutions are still under discussion, including potential coordination mechanisms and funding approaches aimed at preventing families from becoming trapped in extended-stay housing when conventional rentals are out of reach.