"Economically, we can’t put them at the Ritz."

With affordable housing and shelters for homeless families lacking in Sarasota County, motels have become a catch-all for those who have fallen on tough times.

On a given night, agencies estimate more than two dozen homeless children are sleeping in Sarasota County motels. Some families received a free stay voucher from Resurrection House in Sarasota or Trinity Presbyterian Church in Venice; others are the working poor or transplants who can’t afford a home.

Read more at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.