Crisis and Corporate Housing

While 2020 seemed like one long global crisis, the truth is crises can occur at any time, often without warning. If a crisis forces you out of your home, do you have a plan for where you and your family are going to stay?

For over 30 years, Viciniti has worked with families facing a variety of disasters. From national emergencies to personal disasters, there are several reasons why someone might need to leave home for a bit.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common crises we’ve seen where corporate housing can help.

 

Covid-19 Housing

Working in a high-risk job and want to protect your loved ones at home? Corporate housing allows guests to social distance while working during the Covid-19 pandemic. And if you need to quarantine but still have work to do? No worries! With it’s own private WiFi, corporate apartments are perfect for remote working.

Worried about going home to your family after traveling? Quarantining has never been easier with grocery packages available from many corporate housing providers and your full-size kitchen just waiting to be used.

Traveling to help on the front line in the fight against COVID-19? The corporate housing industry is a pretty tight bunch. Even if your local corporate housing provider doesn’t operate nationwide, chances are they can get you into a corporate apartment with a partner in your desired area. They’ll even take care of all the work with the other company so you work with just your local team.

Corporate apartments are often perfectly situated to ensure your safety and others more than other temporary housing options. While hotels often feature relatively narrow hallways for dozens for guests to access their rooms on each floor, creating a bottleneck that could lead to potential exposure, apartments almost always include outdoor access to the front door, with usually no more than 4-6 homes per floor.

This natural spacing coupled with contactless check-ins and all the amenities you would have at home mean you can come and go as you please with little worry of stepping too close to another resident. Add-on contactless housekeeping and you’re all set to enjoy your space for a week, a month, an entire pandemic!

 

Natural Disasters

There’s nothing worse than feeling helpless and at the mercy of something greater than you. When natural disasters strike – they leave you feeling just that, helpless and at the mercy of Mother Nature. Natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, even something as seemingly simple as an ice storm, can force people out of their homes and into a world of uncertainty of what to do and where to go.

While it’s hard to plan ahead for natural disasters, one thing you can do is make a plan for if you were forced out of your home for any reason. Many people stay with family or friends, but if you have neither in the area or you simply can’t stand the idea of bunking with your mother-in-law for God knows how long, it’s important to have a plan in place for where to go if you can’t stay in your home.

In these cases, corporate housing can often be a great option, especially for those who are displaced for months at a time as is commonly the case with complete home destruction or extensive water damage. Since corporate apartments are just that, apartments, they are designed to be a home for families, with separate living rooms, full-size kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as nice amenities like outdoor living areas, gyms, pools and more.

If you live in an area susceptible to natural disasters, it could be prudent for you to locate a regional corporate housing provider in case Mother Nature makes an unexpected (and long-term) stop at your home.

 

Personal Disaster or Loss of Home

When it comes to situations that might push you out of your home for extended periods of time, few are more unexpected than personal disasters. While natural disasters are known about sometimes for weeks in advance and Covid-19 has been around for what feels like a century, personal disasters can hit without warning.

Here are some of the most common reasons we’ve stepped in to help with people removed from their home due to personal disasters.

Fires or Floods 

When it comes to personal disasters that result in extended absences from the home, few are more prevalent than fires and floods. Large scale fires can spread quickly at any time of day while old pipes or shoddy plumbing can give you the pool you always wanted… just in the basement and not the backyard. Also your new unexpected pool smells bad. REAL bad.

In 2018, house fires caused over $25 Billion in damages, leaving tens of thousands of families stranded outside of their home while floods drive an estimated 75,000 families from their home each year. While you never want a fire or flood to happen, it’s important to be prepared if they do.

In the event a fire or flood damages your home, a corporate apartment can give you a sense of home that you otherwise wouldn’t have while waiting to get back into your permanent residence.

Pest Control or Fumigation 

Sometimes creepy crawlies decide to make themselves at home in YOUR home. If you call a pest control specialist they might ask you to leave while they fumigate your home. Sometimes up to a week! Where are you supposed to go now?!

Well, you have a few options. Hotels are a common choice for people in this situation, as it is usually the first option that comes to mind. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best choice! Cabin fever can become an issue when staying in a smaller hotel room for an extended period of time. The lack of a washer and dryer is another issue that is common in hotels.

While extended-stay hotel options do offer washers and dryers on the premises, they are typically housed in communal laundry areas where security and privacy concerns are prevalent. Extended-stay hotels are a bit larger than traditional hotels, so cabin fever may not be as big of an issue during shorter stays.

Corporate Housing is often a great choice for families displaced from their home for longer periods as guests stay in full-size apartments with up to 3 bedrooms. Having more space to enjoy makes it feel more like home.

Serviced apartments include an in-home washer and dryer and the amenities you’d expect from a traditional hotel like resort-style swimming pool, free cable and WiFi, and fitness centers to take care of your every need while away from home for pest control.

Construction Delays 

Building a home is a stressful process and deadlines don’t always get met. There is nothing worse than not knowing when you will be able to go home, but there are options for interim housing. Hotels can be a great short-term solution for singles or couples without kids but probably not ideal for families or long-term stays as the smaller spaces start to feel cramped pretty quick.

If your construction delays do end up taking longer than expected, give your local corporate housing provider a shout and you’ll be set up with a great home away from home that you may even miss when your new home is ready for move-in.

 

Crisis Housing in the Midwest

When crises strike in the Midwest, you have a number of options if you’re displaced from your home. A hotel is a great option for short-term stays, though they can become cramped when staying for more than a few days or if the whole family is staying together. Extended-stay hotels are slightly roomer and are a good intermediate option for medium length stays, though the layout being similar to a hotel makes it awkward for families to share the single space.

Corporate housing in the Midwest is an excellent option for longer stays and for families. Our Viciniti apartments are large enough to house even large families, with 3 bedroom and 3 bathroom layouts available in most locations. Our included WiFi, Cable, and amenities like pool and gym access mean there’s plenty to do throughout your stay.

If you need to find a temporary home away from home, we make things easy and safe with contactless check-in and extensive cleanliness procedures.

You can learn more about the good, the bad, and the ugly of corporate housing in our What is Corporate Housing? article or find a corporate apartment in your desired city below.

 

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