A piece of Sioux Falls history is on the real-estate market for the first time in decades. A "For Sale” now stands in front of the DeLux Motel on West 12th Street. The sale of the decades-old motel could put some customers out on the street because to them, the motel is home.
“Most people who stay here are the working poor, you know? With other things like an apartment, you've got to come up with first month’s rent, last month’s rent; things of that nature,” Dewey Woods, who has been living at the motel for more than four years, said.
Woods is a day laborer with a moderately steady income, but he hasn't always had an easy time paying the rent. Still he's happy to have a roof over his head and a warm bed behind his own door.
“There are not very many affordable places, especially for a working poor guy like me,” Woods said.
Woods knows his home is now for sale. And hopes he can hold out through the spring when he becomes old enough to collect Social Security, which could pave the way for a long-term home. But he is also preparing for the chance his home will be sold.
“I've been on a long-term ticket, but things change. Anything can happen from one day to the next,” Woods said.
The hotel was built in the 1930s according to the owner, who declined an on-camera interview. She has had a hand in the business since the late 1970s and says she is selling because she is aging and finding help is difficult.
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