Federal Way Extended Stay America, 1400 S. 320th St. King County photo

Federal Way Extended Stay America, 1400 S. 320th St. King County photo

King County invests $500K to assist, temporarily house Afghan refugees

Refugees will stay at former Extended Stay American hotel in Federal Way.

King County is investing $500,000 to assist and temporarily house Afghan refugees in the area, including in Federal Way.

The investments are made in partnership with local cities and resource organizations to provide language services, translators, and temporary housing at the former Extended Stay America hotel, 400 S. 320th St., in Federal Way.

The county purchased the hotel in July for $23.3 million for the incoming Health Through Housing program, aimed at providing housing and resources for those experiencing chronic homelessness.

It will be repurposed in the short-term for arriving Afghan refugees, according to King County Executive Dow Constantine.

The county does not have a target move-in date, but it could be as soon as this week, said Chase Gallagher, spokesperson for the King County Executive’s Office.

“King County has pledged to work with local, state, and federal partners and the Afghan-American community to enable Afghans looking for refuge to resettle in the county and begin life in America,” according to the county.

The previous move-in date was tentatively set for Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to an email from Brendan McCluskey, director of King County Emergency Management to Federal Way city officials. Each person or family is expected to stay in Federal Way between three to five weeks, the Federal Way Mirror newspaper previously reported.

The investments include partnering with World Relief, the International Rescue Committee, and other local resettlement agencies to make available temporary housing for individuals and families while they await placement in permanent housing. The county will also provide staffing support.

“We are excited about this new partnership with King County to temporarily house Afghan refugees in safe and secure housing,” said Kathleen Morris, deputy director of the International Rescue Committee based in SeaTac. “Welcoming refugees is an imperative and a long standing practice here in the Puget Sound Region, and we are looking forward to collaborating with the county to ensure that these new residents have what they need to join the community and participate in the life of this place.”

The county will utilize $250,000 from the Office of Equity and Social Justice’s language access program to provide language supports such as translation, interpretation, and more.

Another $250,000 from the Department of Community and Human Services will be used to provide one-time grants to community-based organizations who are supporting Afghan resettlement efforts.

“As we take on the important work of getting our new neighbors settled in and ready to start their lives in the Pacific Northwest, the incredible support of the county with this innovative private/public partnership will provide much-needed capacity to get folks into housing and ready to navigate their new communities,” said Chitra Hanstad, executive director of World Relief based in Kent.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Northwest

t
Federal Way man indicted for kidnapping Auburn woman

Documents say cellphone data links him.

A Puget Sound Energy crew member removes a tree from the wires after the Nov. 19-20 windstorm that struck Western Washington. COURTESY PHOTO, PSE
King County storm damage assessment to help determine federal aid

Homeowners, business owners encouraged to report damages from windstorm

t
Auburn man, Seattle man, 14-year-old teen face gas station robbery charges

Reportedly involved in series of incidents Nov. 15 in Seattle

The Lummi Nation provided three colorful shawls during the MMIWP Task Force Summit in September, with turquoise representing human trafficking, purple representing overdoses (“losing our people from fentanyl”) and red representing murdered and missing Indigenous women — all crises that affect North American Natives and Tribes. The summit started with an opening ceremony with words from Lummi Tribal Chair Anthony Hillaire, Lummi Indian Business Council Secretary Lisa Wilson and a Shawl Ceremony with Lhaq’temish singers. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
Working toward justice for the missing and murdered in Washington

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force Summit highlights progress as well as shortcomings.

t
Federal Way Ukranian community rallies on 1,000th day of war

Group seeks to raise awareness about war

t
PSE says windstorm ‘comparable to a hurricane’ with ‘unprecedented damage’

Company crews rally to restore power to thousands of customers over 5-day period

t
‘Bomb cyclone’ leaves Renton residents without power, damages property

Reports of trees falling into structures and striking individuals in Renton

t
Drive-by shooting hospitalizes man in Auburn near Dave & Busters

Told police he was shot by a passing car the night of Nov. 17 at Outlet Collection mall

t
Renton man arrested in Skagit County sex crime sting

A total of 14 suspects were arrested.

Patrick Moneith teaches Artistic Roller skating at Southgate Roller Rink and also skates at El Centro Skate Rink. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing
El Centro Skate Rink in Federal Way expands its repertoire

Rink is growing the presence of artistic skating and adult skate nights with live DJs.

A ballot drop box damaged in a suspected arson incident in Vancouver, Washington, on Oct. 28, 2024. Monika Spykerman/The Columbian/Courtesy of Washington State Standard
Arson destroys hundreds of ballots inside a Washington state drop box

State and federal authorities are investigating a deliberately set fire that destroyed… Continue reading