Before lockdown, I would stay in cheap hotels relatively often - eg Travelodge, our form of motel. One bed, a TV, a teasmaid. There would generally be two type

Before lockdown, I would stay in cheap hotels relatively often - eg Travelodge, our form of motel. One bed, a TV, a teasmaid. There would generally be two types of common guests. Workmen in the area to build something, tradespeople, or those the council was housing. Typically it would be a mum and a couple of kids, up in the morning by 8am in their school uniform. These places don't serve food, and you'd see people leave with a couple of bags or boxes, as they get shunted elsewhere. I'm glad they were not out on the street, but it broke my heart every time I saw it. I could well understand a parent thinking that a stable location would be better than shifting from one B&B to another. The lack of social housing is a genuine disgrace, and these resi conversions are absolutely not the answer.