Homeless advocate group occupies 16 rooms in Fife motel, refusing to pay

On Christmas Eve, a homeless advocacy group booked 16 rooms at the Travelodge Motel at 3518 Pacific Hwy. E. and paid for one night.

But now, the group told the motel’s manager they have no plans to check out, or to pay the bill.

Monday night, as volunteers from Tacoma Housing Now brought in food and supplies for more than 40 homeless people now occupying the 16 rooms, they told KIRO 7 many of them were at risk of dying in the freezing weather when they were brought in from bridges and encampments.

“A lot of these folks here have chronic illnesses,” said a member of Tacoma Housing Now, who asked to be identified as “Arrow.” “They have everything from cancer to severe infections seizures, all sorts of chronic illnesses.”