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Article: SUBSTITUTE SHELTER; Hennepin County is using the low-cost Drake Hotel as an overflow site for homeless families, despite concern it's not appropriate for women and kids.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- October 14, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: PATRICE RELERFORD; STAFF WRITER
When Rachel Smith and her two children landed at the Drake Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, their room had one twin bed, no fresh towels or toiletries and a dingy shower curtain that looked as old as the 80-year-old hotel itself.
"It had a fresh bottle of Skyy liquor," said Smith, 38, who has never lived in a shelter before but fell on hard times after losing her job and apartment. "I thought, `Man, this place is ridiculous.'"
For the first time in six years, Hennepin County is regularly using the Drake Hotel, a posh hotel in its early days, as an overflow facility for homeless families because the county's ...