by Lauryn Bray

On the day they are expected to move out of their rooms at the Quality Inn in Kent, the Venezuelan refugees formerly living on the grounds of the Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC) gathered at Seattle City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 30, to put forth their requests for assistance to the City Council.

“We need help because today we’ve been told we need to leave the hotel,” said Maria Coronel, one of the refugees staying at the Quality Inn, through an interpreter. “We just want to ask for help with decent housing and work. We don’t want to be a burden to you, but we have a right to have decent housing and help.”