Do you believe that Lakeland deserves access to quality local news?
We do, too, which is why this is NOT a paywall.
You can click out and ignore this but we hope you won't because you and readers like you make LkldNow possible.
Plus, when you give now NewsMatch and our local match funders will match your donation, doubling your impact!
Support local news for Lakeland!
We believe everyone should be able to be informed about the place they live so we don't charge to read LkldNow. Instead of paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on contributions from readers like you to fund our journalism. Give Monthly, One-time or Once a Year.
Stay in the know
Get the scoop on what’s happening in Lakeland. Sign up to our weekly newsletter to get all your local news in one email!
Thank you for being a LkldNow reader!
An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.
Get your news straight from the source!
LkldNow is your only truly local, independent news. No paywall. No subscription fees. No opinions. Just Local News. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
After driving home from work in Bartow, Kimberly steps into her room at an extended-stay hotel in Brandon. On a nightstand sits a tabletop Christmas tree she hopes captures some of the holiday spirit for her three daughters, ages 22, 19 and 5.
Working, parenting, holding it together
In October, LkldNow reported Kimberly’s story and how a modest raise threatened her access to food, childcare and other supports, even as she worked and went to school.
Two months later, Kimberly still works the same full-time job as an ESE paraprofessional with Polk County Public Schools. She balances full-time work, parenting and college coursework, with far fewer supports than before.
“I only have two math classes left, and I’ll be done with my associate’s degree,” Kimberly said.
She hopes to continue her education toward a master’s degree and eventually become a board-certified behavioral analyst.
She’s determined to have a better life and be a positive role model for her children. But life hasn’t been easy.
In October, Kimberly left a relationship and moved her kids to an extended-stay hotel in north Lakeland. In November, when rising nightly rates made that unaffordable, she relocated to an extended-stay in Brandon.
On the other side of the benefits cliff
Kimberly’s tight budget — two weeks of pre-paid daycare, car insurance, cell phone, gas and groceries — no longer adds up on a single income.
Before the minimal wage increase and the end of the relationship, Kimberly was among the 32.9% of Polk County residents classified as ALICE — asset limited, income constrained and employed — earning above the federal poverty level but struggling to afford basic living costs.
Now trying to make it as a single mom, Kimberly is slipping down into the 14.7% of households below the poverty line.
The starting annual pay for a paraeducator in Polk County is $26,087. Based on her current paystub, Kimberly takes home about $23,648 a year.
In contrast, the minimum sustainable living wage for a family of four in Polk County is $91,630, according to the United Community Needs Assessment by United Way of Central Florida and GiveWell Community Foundation. That figure encompasses the cost of basic necessities like housing, food, transportation, childcare, healthcare and taxes — not extras, savings or emergency reserves.
Not homeless, but not stable
Kimberly pays $43 a night for an extended-stay in Brandon. In Lakeland, extended-stay hotels advertise discounted long-term rates of $60 to $80 a night — adding up to roughly $1,800 to $2,400 a month before utilities and fees.
Monthly rent might appear lower than extended-stay hotel costs. Average rent for an apartment in Lakeland is about $1,525 a month, according to RentCafe, however most require upfront payments such as first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit.
“I wouldn’t be able to come up with a $1,500 to $3,000 security deposit,” Kimberly said — the equivalent of one to three full paychecks for her.
During a benefits redetermination interview with the Florida Department of Children and Families, Kimberly was told that living in an extended-stay hotel does not meet the definition of homelessness.
“Technically, it can be considered a home because you have a roof over your head, electricity and water,” Kimberly said she was told.
“I didn’t realize that a hotel could be a permanent home,” she said. “You need to tell me there’s different levels of homelessness.”
Under federal law, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s definition of homelessness does not include situations such as high-rent burden, frequent moves or temporary hotel stays.
Kimberly applied for housing assistance through the Lakeland Housing Authority while she was still staying at the extended-stay in Lakeland. By the time the housing staff contacted her to conduct a pre-screen interview, she had moved to Brandon, and she was told she no longer qualified for housing assistance through Polk County.
“They told me, ‘Technically, you don’t live in Polk County right now,’” she said. “Even though I’m trying to live in Polk County.”
LkldNow reached out to the Lakeland Housing Authority for comment and did not receive a response.
Related: Lakeland Housing Authority under scrutiny
After Kimberly was reduced to one income, her safety net unraveled.
Her SNAP benefits were cut off during redetermination, and she’s waiting to learn if they will be restored. WIC ended when her youngest turned five recently.
With benefits paused or gone, food suddenly became uncertain.
Kim, an ESE paraprofessional in Polk County and mother of three, budgets carefully to stretch every dollar. A small raise now threatens her access to food and childcare assistance — part of the growing ALICE population: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. | Kim
“I wouldn’t have had Thanksgiving this year,” she said.
But her school principal and office staff gave her a $100 gift card ahead of Thanksgiving, and she was able to put together a meal.
Friends also stepped in. One took her grocery shopping at Sam’s Club. “She was like, ‘Just get whatever you need,’” Kimberly said.
At her extended-stay hotel she has a two-burner stovetop, a full-size refrigerator, and a toaster oven and air fryer that were gifts, but without food assistance, even basic groceries are hard to come by.
At food pantries, Kimberly runs into a persistent problem: “They give me pancake mix, but no eggs,” she said. “Cereal and no milk.”
It’s food — but not always usable food.
What would help: Not a handout, a bridge
The United Community Needs Assessment shows many Polk County families survive in this same space — earning above assistance thresholds but far below what it costs to live.
“I’m not looking for a handout,” Kimberly said adding, “There should be a transition program.”
What a bridge could look like:
Transitional food support when benefits lapse, so families don’t face empty shelves in December
Flexible childcare help, giving parents time to work extra shifts, study or simply breathe
Reliable transportation, especially in a county where cars are essential and public transit is limited
Financial education paired with short-term assistance, not as a requirement, but as a stabilizer — helping families plan past the season without cutting them off mid-stride
The Needs Assessment identifies food access, transportation and childcare as persistent barriers for working families. During the holidays, those barriers intensify.
Needs, wants, and what moms carry
Between November and December, Kimberly’s family marks multiple birthdays and Christmas, stacking emotional and financial pressure into a few short weeks.
“Moms are usually the ones that bring the magic,” she said.
This year, that magic is scaled down to fit a hotel room. What she wants for her daughters isn’t extravagant. They hope for a Christmas tree, Christmas dinner, and small gift cards to places her older kids love.
For ALICE families, seasonal costs can force families to choose between holiday participation and necessities.
Kimberly tries anyway — baking cupcakes with her kids or taking them to see Christmas lights — small traditions meant to make the season feel special.
She knows the holidays will pass. What remains is the same question facing thousands of ALICE families across Polk County: How do working families move forward when the safety net is uneven and stability depends on one missed paycheck, one delayed benefit or one unexpected bill?
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
