Rock Hill plans to crack down on homeless people living in hotels

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Rock Hill leaders plan to crack down on homeless people living in hotels.

The city is unveiling new rules Tuesday night to cut down calls for police and medical services, which includes one that would cap hotel stays at 30 nights total per year in any city hotel.

The proposal is supposed to ensure that hotels don’t turn into permanent houses, which has allegedly negatively impacted the community.

Including “increased calls for police service, increased medical calls due to drug overdoses, and increased incidents of panhandling and loitering in some areas of the city that are close to the subject hotels.”

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Pamela Woods, a resident who formerly resided in a Rock Hill hotel, expressed her disapproval of the proposed changes to Channel 9.

“You got people right now that do not have anywhere to live because the cost of living has gone so high, and some of the people are like myself,” said Woods. “Where are they going to put the people that can’t afford housing and don’t have anywhere else to go? Are they building places for them that are affordable?”

The proposal said it would allow special exceptions for homeless people who have been accepted into a special program. Those people would be allowed to stay 90 nights a year, which is supposed to give them time to obtain permanent housing.

On Tuesday, Alex Greenawalt, the former director of Pathways, a non-profit that helps the unhoused, said she understands the need for the ordinance.

“Just from a public health perspective. You have infectious diseases, behavioral health challenges, and violence safety concerns,” said Greenawalt.

However, she said the changes could have a ripple effect on agencies that aim to help the unhoused.

“The success of this policy really hinges on balancing the development of more affordable housing solutions. And working with our homeless-serving system, who are going to see the strain and burden of the policy effects,” said Greenawalt.

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A hotel owner, however, expressed opposite sentiments. He said he opposed the plan, and he, along with other hotel owners, planned to speak out against it.

Channel 9 has reached out to the city of Rock Hill for a statement regarding the proposal. However, we have not heard back.

The proposed rules will be presented at the planning commission meeting Tuesday.

The city council will make the final decision.