Relocate or be arrested: Fife offers alternative to homeless group occupying motel
The city of Fife has intervened at a motel where a homeless advocacy group is in its fifth day of occupation.
Tacoma Housing Now, a homeless advocacy group looking for permanent housing solutions, booked 16 rooms at the Fife Travelodge Motel at 3518 Pacific Hwy. E. on Thursday. The first night was paid for by the group.
The group has refused to pay or leave for five days. Tacoma Housing Now said there are 43 occupants staying in the now 18 rooms considered as part of the takeover.
The advocacy group wants to bill Tacoma and Pierce County for the stay, because they say it’s the job of these governments to provide housing to those experiencing homelessness.
Fife’s city manager Hyun Kim said the city is working to find alternative accommodations for those living in the motel.
City staff are looking at willing motels and open shelter space to offer the unhoused occupants.
“We are going to try like heck to provide those services,” Kim told The News Tribune. “They have stated goals for permanent housing and that should be the goal but for right now, we are trying to provide some immediate solutions and it’s up to them on whether they accept them.”
Kim said there is no set deadline on when law enforcement will be used, but he said the offer will be given twice before police begin making arrests.
“They are imposing on a small-business owner who has pleaded with the city that he would close his business at any minute,” Kim said.
At least two occupants and one organizer have tested positive for COVID-19, Tacoma Housing Now spokesperson Rebecca Parson said.
“Forcing them to move will further the community spread,” she said. “ It’s not a good idea to force them to move. If they insist on kicking us out today, they are behaving in a completely irresponsible and unscientific way.”
If the city provides on-site COVID-19 testing, results by tomorrow and housing options that follow public health safety guidelines, they will accept the offer, Parson said.
Fife Travelodge Motel manager Shawn Randhawa said he is losing customers due to the occupation and protest in his parking lot. On Monday, he had about 15 paying customers, but some have left.
“I have lost $2,800 to $3,000 a day, and I might lose employees who want to quit,” he said. “I barely have 15 rooms instead of my normal average of like 37 to 42 rooms. It was like that even during the pandemic.”
The manager said one of the motel room doors was broken. After the group stopped paying on Friday, he locked the electronic motel doors. He said the group forced the door open.
Parson said the group fixed the door, and there is no visible damage.
The city considers this occupation trespassing on private property. Randhawa said he will shutter the business in the coming days and turn off the water and electricity if the occupation continues.
“I don’t think it’s fair. It’s criminal. They are a bunch of thugs,” Randhawa said. “I won’t work with this group. I thought this was the job of the city to enforce the laws of the city. You can’t just take over someone’s house. It’s complete lawlessness.”
Parson said they do not want the motel to go out of business, and they are working to try and ensure Randhawa is paid.
“He is not in danger of going out of business because of us, but because of the pandemic,” Parson said.
Tacoma Housing Now took over Gault Middle School in November to shelter those experiencing homelessness, but left that evening when Tacoma police threatened to make arrests.
Pierce County has not spoken with the homeless advocacy group either, but they are in regular communication with Fife over next steps, Communications Director Libby Catalinich said.
Tacoma has not spoken with anyone from Tacoma Housing Now about the current situation at the Fife Travelodge, said the city’s Director of Media and Communications Tanisha Jumper.
The city said they expect to add 35 beds to the Salvation Army’s shelter at 12th and Union, and expanding Tacoma Rescue Mission’s overnight shelter capacity by 35 beds at Holy Rosary. The Tacoma Rescue Mission is using Bellarmine Preparatory School to add 45 beds during inclement weather, or below freezing.
“We expect all of those beds to come on in January of 2021,” Jumper said in an email.
Tacoma Housing Now said they want more adequate housing that follows public health safety measures.
“They hope that those come online, but that isn’t sufficient. People can freeze to death in that time,” Parson said. “Everyday goes by is another day some one can die outside and that blood is on the city and county’s hands. We aren’t going to stop until everyone is housed.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 1:57 PM.
