Hundreds of asylum seekers have set up encampments in public parks in Seattle after funding for hotel accommodation near Seattle ran out, according to local reports.
Dozens of tents have popped up in Powell-Barnett Park in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood as asylum seekers from Venezuela, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo wait for permanent housing.
A group of men, women and children were able to stay at a hotel in Kent after camping outside Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila in early 2023. FOX13 Seattle report.
Now that funds for hotel stays have dried up, asylum seekers have told local news outlets they will stay in the park until more funds are raised.
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Hundreds of asylum seekers, including children, had run out of housing funds and were staying in an encampment at Powell-Barnett Park in Seattle’s Central District. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)
“We’re waiting for help. We don’t want to keep moving every month. It’s hard,” Jonathan, 22, an Angolan refugee, told FOX13.
Another Angolan man said: KOMO NewsWith the help of an interpreter, he said, “I’m asking the government for housing assistance.”
Many of the asylum seekers appear to be from Venezuela or Africa. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)
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Adriana Medina told KING5-TV The situation in her native Venezuela is “very difficult for everyone,” she said in Spanish, which is why she came to the United States.
“We still don’t know how long the camp will take,” Medina said. “We don’t have those answers. We can’t tell anyone what we’re doing because we don’t know ourselves.”
Asylum seekers were staying at the Quality Inn in Kent, Washington, until funds ran out. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)
The city of Seattle told FOX13 it has “depleted the funds allocated to immigrant shelters and services” and has requested additional assistance from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Seattle mayor’s office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
