It’s been a rough week for Clarence Thomas. After living in the Hotel Nexus for the past few months, he found a notice saying it was time to leave this establishment in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood.
I ask him, “You only have a few belongings, it should be pretty easy for you Clarence huh?”
Thomas answers, “Yeah. They didn’t accuse me of anything. I guess somebody else messed up.”
Thomas says several other homeless men and women violated rules by smoking drugs in their rooms and inviting guests without permission. A source close to the situation says a hotel staff member was also assaulted by a homeless man.
So now, nearly 40 people are being kicked out by building management.
Thomas says, “I’m really confused. They just asked me about three days ago.”
Through a free voucher program, the Washington State Lived Experience Coalition (LEC) and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) place people living on the streets into hotels for stays that can last up to 90 days. But after this latest incident, that’s now under scrutiny.
Thomas insists, “I’m not on no drugs.”
An LEC worker was trying to explain what was going on, but a kcrha worker stopped our interview.
I reached out later to both agencies to find out what happened and if anything is being done to prevent this from happening again. But no one got back to me.
Meanwhile, a man who goes by Tarantula says he also got kicked out and admitted to some of those violations: “Someone said something about fentanyl….Had too many people over.”
But he says everyone here is now being moved to other motels, including the violators.
They’re headed to Federal Way’s Comfort Inn or the Clarion in Renton.
Thomas is thankful he still has a place to stay. But he’s now concerned the same people who broke the rules here at the Nexus will do it again at a new location. This will lead to the same outcome because no one is holding them accountable.
“The actions of others” I say, “has messed it up for you too”. “Yes” Thomas says, nodding in agreement.