Extended stay hotels are home to hundreds of DeKalb County families with no other options, according to a groundbreaking new study from Georgia State University.

The study spent three months focusing on families with school-age children living in 42 hotels. It reveals that over 700 families and more than 1600 kids live in these situations, and that’s just in this small sample size from one county.

“If you are adding up the daily rate, families are spending $2661 per month,” says Sue Sullivan, a community advocate.

She says that makes it very hard to pay for other basics, and nearly impossible to save up for a down payment on an apartment.

On average, that amounts to 77% of the family’s income, leaving little to cover all other expenses. Most don’t qualify for long-term housing for several reasons, such as not having money for up-front costs.

Sullivan adds that it creates a never-ending cycle of dependency on this last resort option, some live in these hotels for years.

She notes that this is just a small sample size and reflects a nationwide housing crisis that is growing every day.