Shannon Brave, and her daughters, Peyton American Horse, 13, and Whisper American Horse, 9, have lived at Colonial Motel for 16 months trying find a new place to live. Photo by Richie Richards
City’s gentrification leaving many homeless
By Richie Richards
Native Sun News Staff Writer
www.nsweekly.com RAPID CITY –– The Colonial Motel of Rapid City is set to be replaced by a Maverick, Inc. gas station in coming months. This 52-room motel currently houses 100+ individuals and families of Rapid City’s ever-growing homeless population. The City Council approved an ordinance affecting the area on the southwest corner of East Boulevard North and Lacrosse Street which will rezone this property from a Medium Density Residential District to a General Commercial District. This is where the Colonial Motel is located. For decades, thousands of Native American families moving back and forth from the reservations have used the Colonial Motel as a temporary housing option; often enduring the criminality associated with motels offering affordable weekly and monthly rates in Rapid City’s version of skid row – East North Street. Native Sun News contacted Colonial Motel for comment, but was not provided a return phone call by an owner or manager. The employee fielding NSN’s request offered sympathy for those affected. The employee mentioned how the Colonial Motel offers housing for homeless veterans, felons, sex offenders, people with bad credit, poor rental history and those addicted to alcohol and other drugs. The Colonial Motel is a place for those with no other options as property management companies have strict rental guidelines and do background and credit checks.
Read the rest of the story on the all new Native Sun News website: City’s gentrification leaving many homeless (Contact Richie Richards at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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