PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said on Wednesday evening that the county will pay to keep 80 asylum seekers in their hotel rooms until April 30, thus providing breathing space for the families, including more than 30 children under the age of 12, that expected to be out on the streets by Friday.
A local nonprofit called the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice, or IMIrJ, has been paying for the asylum seekers to stay in a hotel for the past month. That nonprofit ran out of money for the program last week — and Multnomah County originally offered the families tents.
“These challenges are much larger than any one local government can solve alone," Vega Pederson said in a statement. "We can do our part to extend this safety net for a month while the many stakeholders can come together to determine the best next steps. We know new families are arriving every day.”
Vega Pederson added that the chair's office notified advocates of the funding, and the county's board of commissioners and Portland city officials extended five days of aid to the asylum seekers.
The decision from Multnomah County leaders came after KGW first reported on Tuesday about the dire financial situation. The office of Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez found money to fund the hotel rooms through Friday, but it was unclear where the families would go after that.
Officials from IMIrJ had approached city and county officials when it became clear they wouldn't have the money to continue supporting the families. County officials originally told the families the best they could offer at the time was 24 four-person tents.
“I don’t know exactly what the thought process was around the tents. I think that there was outreach that had happened last week with the best-possible meaning. Our staff were like, 'This is the assistance I can provide you right now,'" Vega Pederson told KGW. "I applaud that kind of problem-solving, but that is in no way a long-term plan."
Luz Escalona is one of the 80 asylum seekers. She first came to America one month ago and was told there was housing in Portland as the federal government considered her asylum claim.
“I chose Portland because we were told they could help us here with accommodations, like a roof over our heads, while we arrange our immigration papers,” she said in Spanish. “Inside, there are around 30 kids that will be without a home. We need your help, with whatever help you can give — someplace to live, where our kids won't be living on the streets.”
Multnomah County expects "meetings with stakeholders to find solutions will begin next week," according to the release.
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