A hotel and a resort are generally examples of temporary lodging. In many instances, people need places to stay for short periods but they are not looking for temporary lodging. There are often more suitable forms of short term housing for such individuals, such as dorms, mobile homes, and vacation homes.
Students often attend colleges and universities in places that are too far for them to drive home daily. Instead of renting apartments, which would generally require at least a full year’s commitment, they live in short term housing known as dormitories, or dorms. Dormitories are generally owned and regulated by the educational facility the students attend. The costs of living in a dormitory may be added onto the students’ educational bills. Usually, such residences must be vacated when school is not in session.
Sometimes people are away from home for leisure purposes. For example, the professor from a university may spend her summer breaks in a distant location. One option that she has if she does not want to pay for temporary lodging is a mobile home. A mobile home is a residence designed for short term living. It is mobile because it can be moved from one place to another. This type of living arrangement often involves an individual having to pay for the mobile unit in addition to the cost to park it.
A sublet residence is another option commonly available to people who will be away from home for an extended period of time. In many places, especially those known to draw crowds during certain seasons, homeowners and lease holders will vacate their residences and rent them to individuals who travel to the area during busy times. People who regularly go to a certain location and spend short periods may invest in a vacation home. This is usually a home that a person owns but does not reside in as her primary residence.
Shelters provide short term housing. Homeless people are often left with no other option except this one. Since they may not have any money, they may seek these short term housing options, which are commonly funded by governments and charities. This is often also a source of at least one free meal per day.
Homeless people are not the only ones who occupy shelters, however. Battered women also commonly reside in shelters that are organized for people in such bad situations. These facilities commonly assist the women and their children by providing counseling, employment searches, and rental assistance.
