King County to provide temporary shelter in Redmond for refugees

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Thursday that the county plans to use the former Silver Cloud Inn in Redmond as a temporary place to stay for refugees coming into the county as they await resettlement.

The county eventually plans to use the Redmond hotel for the Health Through Housing initiative, through which the county acquires facilities like former hotels and nursing homes to house homeless people.

The Redmond hotel will be the first Health Through Housing site on the Eastside.

The county purchased the hotel in July.

As the Redmond hotel is repurposed for refugees, a Federal Way hotel building that was previously used for refugee housing will prepare to open as a Health Through Housing site.

“No matter the storm abroad, King County will always be a safe harbor,” Constantine said. “We welcome all who arrive from other nations, and we stand ready to support them as they make a new start here in the United States. I am pleased that we can collaborate with so many local leaders and partners to ensure individuals and families have what they need as they prepare to make a new home in our region.”

The county will start accepting referrals and welcoming guests at the Redmond site from the first week of May through September.

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