







The Schroeders have called the Motel 6 in Dunwoody, Georgia their home since August 2018. After being evicted from their California apartment, outbid on a rental property in Atlanta and forced to live out of their Kia Sorento, the family of five settled into a ground floor, one-room unit at the motel. There, Rimbey, Jason and their three daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah and Makala, share one bathroom, one sink and one closet. At night, they share two full-size beds.
Despite the tight accommodations, Rimbey Schroeder is thankful for their situation. “As long as we can keep our family together and a roof over our heads, I’m OK with that,” she said. “I thank God every day.”
The Schroeder’s story is not unique. Throughout the United States, suburban poverty rates are on the rise, outpacing affordable housing growth and forcing more families to settle in extended-stay motels. Today, 88 percent of Atlanta’s poor live in the suburbs.