Some homeless people in Acadiana said they can't maintain a decent place to live because the cost-of-living is constantly rising.
Brenda Wood said she lives in a motel with several other families who said they can't wait for the day they have a permanent place to call home.
"Without each other and God...We wouldn't survive," Wood said. "God is the main...that's the main."
According to the NLIHC, 187, 331 or 32 percent of renter households in Louisiana are extremely low income.
Jessica Martinez said she is raising her children in a motel because she can't afford a place to rent.
"That is my issue...being able to have the deposit and the rent all at the same time," Martinez said.
Data from the NLIHC reveals the annual household income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental home is more than forty-thousand dollars.
Elsa Dimitriadis, Executive Director of the Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness (ARCH), said she and her colleagues are trying t improve the lack of space in shelters across Acadiana.
"We've seen a 40 percent decrease in available shelter beds since 2020," Dimitriadis said. "So, we are operating at a place of deficit of places for peple to stay the night and that is something that has to be addressed and addressed quickly."
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, please call 232-HELP.
