The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Dozens of residents at Budget Inn of DeLand were forced to find somewhere else to sleep after Volusia County officials were forced to shut down the electricity and water on Monday, due to code violations and unsanitary conditions not being addressed.

While some residents spent the day packing their belongings, most of them stayed behind on Monday trying to figure out their next move.

"I was in the bathroom and then all of a sudden the lights turned off. I went to go to the sink – the sink wasn’t running no more," resident Tristian Robinson said.

Some residents have health challenges, pets and children that are adding to the stress of finding a new place to call home.

"I really don’t know what to do," resident Cedric Bradley said. "I don’t get paid until next week. Basically this brought me to the homeless stage."

County officials said they’ve been receiving complaints about code violations and unsanitary conditions since 2020 and said the building's condition worsened in 2021. A sign posted outside the building shows the county has been warning residents about the motel’s unsafe living conditions since 2021.

Building inspections revealed filth, insect infestation, a faulty wastewater treatment system and a lack of smoke detectors.

The county told residents in September 2021 that they had to find another place to live. Some of them left, but as of early May, the county said about 50 to 70 residents stayed.

"I don’t know what they want us to do," Robinson said. "I don’t know what they expect us to do because this is our lives; this [motel] is the middle ground before we make our next move."

The county said it tried working with the owner of the building to make repairs for years but said the owner didn’t follow through.

When WESH 2 spoke with the owner Eldad Cohen and his consultant Ram Cohen on the phone, they denied the allegations.

"We were trying to work with [the county] to make the repairs," the Cohens said. "We applied for permits to repair, they issued us the permit and then they revoked it for no reason."

County officials said they hosted a resource event in 2021 specifically for the residents at Budget Inn of DeLand to connect them with relocation and housing options, including employment opportunities and other public benefits.

The residents told WESH 2 that they did see some volunteers from local homeless shelters and urban ministries make in-person visits to provide help.

Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.