A former Howard Johnson hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona, has been purchased by a local entity so it can be converted into emergency housing for senior citizens, local families and the medically vulnerable.
The Arizona Daily Sun reported the 58-room hotel at 3300 E. Route 66 Blvd. — which opened as The Crown in 1967 — closed in March but was purchased earlier this month by Flagstaff Shelter Services for about $6 million.
Flagstaff Shelter Services director Ross Schaefer said the organization initially began renting rooms at two hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was successful, as no infections were reported among tenants for months. But it also was expensive.
That led the organization to look for something longer-term and financially viable.
The funding came from the Arizona Department of Housing’s access to $40 million in State Recovery Funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act. The money was specifically set aside for transforming hotels into emergency housing. Additional funds also came from the Forest Highlands Foundation and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. […]
Residents will be prioritized based on need and vulnerability. The Crown will provide the same comprehensive services available in traditional congregate settings, such as meals, medical care, behavioral health and rehousing services. FSS care coordinators will be on-site 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Some of the most utilized community partners will also have an on-site presence, including Native Americans for Community Action, North Country HealthCare, The Guidance Center, Southwest Behavioral & Health Services and Flagstaff Family Food Center.
Schafer said they hope the motel eventually would become a center to address the city’s affordable-housing shortage, but that won’t be for a few years.
A recent report stated a minimum-wage worker would need to work 87 hours a week to afford a typical two-room apartment in Flagstaff, which rents at an average of $1,700 a month.
There will be no change with the adjacent Crown Railroad Cafe, which will continue to operate as usual.
(Image of the motel via Flagstaff Shelter Services news release)