90 migrant families get one week extension at Kent hotel

More confusion over the fate of dozens of Venezuelan migrants who were facing eviction from a Kent Hotel.

Wednesday morning the migrants told KIRO7 that the city will pay for their next two weeks, but we’ve since learned from city officials that they will only foot the bill for one more week.

Regardless of the situation, Maejualeda Alvarez says she’s happy to have a roof over her head.

“Very happy, because we worry about our kids, they can’t handle the cold… it’s hard to have them sleeping in the streets,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez is among the 90 families who were evicted from the Quality Inn Tuesday.

“Si ayer bloquearon todas las tarjetas,” said Alvarez.

She says their room keys were deactivated. Families have spent the past three weeks at the hotel, they were relocated from a tent city in Tukwila during our recent cold snap.

Alvarez says conditions there were unsanitary.

“It was cold, and there was also a lot of rats,” said Alvarez.

An aid group promised to pay for their hotel stay, but the hotel says they never saw a dime.

“We were given deadlines and those promises were not met, so ever since January 10th we have not received a single penny for everything so we have no resources,” said Eli Min the general manager of Quality Inn.

Tuesday after being evicted, dozens of migrants went to Seattle City Hall and pleaded for help, and they got it.

The city says they will pay for 59 rooms for one week, enough to accommodate all 90 families.

Alvarez says she and several others have been actively looking for jobs, but admit it’s been difficult.

“We don’t want to be a burden for the city. We need to work, but we need work permits so we can go get jobs, and succeed, that’s why we came to this country to succeed,” said Alvarez.

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