Justin Fowich works Wednesday on the fire alarm panel at the Travelodge in Matteson, which the village has threatened to close over building code issues including the alarm panel. (Mike Nolan / Pioneer Press)

       Residents of a south suburban hotel, some of whom have lived there for years, may have to vacate their rooms Wednesday due to fire code violations, according to hotel assistant manager Latricia Washington.

       More than 80 residents of Travelodge in Matteson found out Tuesday that they were being asked to leave by the end of the day Wednesday, Washington said.

       But Wednesday morning, residents learned they could get a last-minute reprieve. They’re waiting for the results of a prioritized inspection at 2 p.m., Matteson fire Chief Michael Bacon said. If the hotel passes, they will be allowed to stay.

       Matteson officials are threatening to close the Travelodge in Matteson due to building code issues. (Mike Nolan / Pioneer Press)

       Those affected by the possible removal include families on rental assistance or on waiting lists for other housing, Washington said.

       “I don’t have a vehicle. I don’t have money. I don’t have anywhere to go,” resident Lisa Perez, 46, said. “I don’t even have a box to start packing my stuff.”

       Stephanie McWilliams said that she and her five children have shuttled from one motel to another since last May, when they were evicted from their Chicago apartment.

       “Me and my kids have not called anyplace home,” the single mother said. “I can’t have them living in one-bedroom hotels.”

       Stephanie McWilliams, left, and Lisa Brooks have been living at the Travelodge in Matteson for a little more than a month. (Mike Nolan / Pioneer Press)

       She is across the hall from Lisa Brooks, and the two have known each other for about six months but McWilliams said she considers Brooks as her mom, and her kids refer to her as grandma. They have both been at the motel for a little more than a month, they said.

       The hotel is in violation of “an abundance” of regulations for its sprinkler and fire alarm systems, with complaints going back to February 2021, the Matteson Fire Department said in a statement.

       Residents are being asked to leave specifically because some alarms in the building would not go off in an emergency, Bacon said. That violation must be corrected before the afternoon inspection, or the residents will be removed.

       Bacon pointed to the deadly apartment building fire in New York City this week as evidence of what can happen with safety issues.

       “I can’t in good conscience go home every night knowing that I have a building in town where I’ve got people paying to stay, and sleep, and have the life-safety issues that we have,” he said, adding the Fire Department’s intent “was never to displace anybody.”

       Latricia Washington is a manager at the Travelodge in Matteson, which the village is threatening to close for building code violations. (Mike Nolan / Pioneer Press)

       The Matteson Police Department is working with nearby hotels to place residents who are unable to find other housing, according to fire officials. Some already have chosen to leave the hotel, said Sean Howard, a spokesman for the village.

       Perez is concerned, she said, because she doesn’t know where she’ll end up. The Travelodge also houses her daughter and five grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 years to 12 years old.

       Her youngest granddaughter on Tuesday told Perez she doesn’t want to leave, she said.

       “To see her like that, worrying, it made me sad,” she said.

       The hotel provides not just a place to stay, Washington said, but also food, toy drives and COVID-19 tests for those in need.

       “We lean on each other,” Perez said. “So for them to come knock on my door yesterday and tell me I have to leave … It’s just crazy.”

       McWilliams and Brooks said that neither of them own a vehicle, and McWilliams said that, apart from child support, she has very little income.

       “Every day I wake up and think ‘How am I going to pay for the room, how am I going to feed the kids?’” McWilliams said.

       Brooks said that she is trying to maintain a positive attitude.

       “We already know it’s going to work out,” she said.

       McWilliams said she does not have any family and was unsure where she and her family would go if they can’t stay at the motel.

       “Everybody here is considered family,” Asia Durden, who has lived at the motel for about four months, said Wednesday. “At this point, where do you go?

       oolander@chicagotribune.com

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