Deadline arrives for Westside Inn residents to vacate

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – Friday marked the deadline for residents of the Westside Inn in Kingsport to vacate the premises or face eviction.

Those living at the motel were given a letter on March 19 from the operator , telling them they had to leave by April 5. A temporary restraining order was filed by legal representatives of the residence, which ultimately resulted in the deadline being pushed back to April 19 .

The motel’s operator, C. P. Patel, previously told News Channel 11 that running the Westside Inn had been becoming increasingly difficult over the past several years. He said multiple residents were months behind on rent, among other issues. The Tennessee Department of Health found in a 2023 inspection that conditions at the property were not up to standard, an observation corroborated by residents.

The United Way of Greater Kingsport reports there were an estimated 80 guests at the Westside Inn when the closing letters were sent. Another non-profit, Hunger First, found roughly 150 people residing at the motel.

Multiple organizations in the Kingsport area mobilized to help find temporary or permanent lodging for residents. The United Way of Greater Kingsport told News Channel 11 in a statement Friday that shelters were preparing to care for as many people and families as they could.

“The goal is to assist previous guests from Westside Inn to live lives more fully self-sufficient, healthier and with educational access to community safety net resources,” the United Way stated. “The goal is to not only assist them in finding shelter and housing options but to help them have the opportunity for a better quality of life.”

As of Friday, the United Way reported that 25% of motel guests were “both elderly/disabled and low-income and have been offered an option for additional assistance.” Help has been offered to those in the form of case management and other means.

The United Way told News Channel 11 some guests had been moved to permanent housing with the help of agencies and others were able to find lodging on their own.

In addition to the United Way, other organizations that have assisted those at the motel include Frontier Health, Goodwill Industries of Tenneva Area, Inc., the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Ballad Health, the City of Kingsport, the Salvation Army, Hope Haven and Family Promise.

Both the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Alderman and the Sullivan County Commission have approved tax increment financing for a proposed new Friendship Hyundai dealership at the Westside Inn property.

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