Seattle spent millions to shelter people in hotel rooms. Then it stopped filling them episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 7, 2025 · 11 MIN

Seattle spent millions to shelter people in hotel rooms. Then it stopped filling them

from Seattle Now · host KUOW News and Information

In the years following the pandemic, the city of Seattle leaned into a strategy to convert hotels into shelters. At one point, the Civic Hotel was full of residents. But later, many of the rooms sat empty, even though the City of Seattle was still paying the rent. KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko is here to tell us what happened. Her new story is co-published by ProPublica. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected], leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the years following the pandemic, the city of Seattle leaned into a strategy to convert hotels into shelters. At one point, the Civic Hotel was full of residents. But later, many of the rooms sat empty, even though the City of Seattle was still paying the rent. KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko is here to tell us what happened.

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Seattle spent millions to shelter people in hotel rooms. Then it stopped filling them

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This episode was published on October 7, 2025.

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In the years following the pandemic, the city of Seattle leaned into a strategy to convert hotels into shelters. At one point, the Civic Hotel was full of residents. But later, many of the rooms sat empty, even though the City of Seattle was still...

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