What about the refugees?

I am a Trump supporter and I find it hard to believe that the stimulus package which was signed by President Trump yesterday, did not include funds for refugees who have come to the United States legally and have been working. Most of the refugees that have been here for as little as one month are working at minimum-wage jobs. These refugees have $0 saved. How are these folks to pay their rent after being laid off?

The refugees that come to Spokane arrive through an organization called World Relief. At this point, I’m sure World Relief is scrambling to figure out how to help these refugees since World Relief is responsible for these folks for the first eighteen months after arrival. World Relief is given a fixed amount of money per refugee when they arrive in the States. I have seen how World Relief can stretch these limited funds.

The only saving grace for these refugees is the city-imposed moratorium on evictions. Yet that is not good for the building owners. The building owners have mortgages to pay; in addition they need to pay their insurances, taxes and the utilities. Will the city let the building owners skip those payments? Is the only winner the mortgage holder?

I am not sure what is to come. One remedy for the refugees would be donations to World Relief. Please check out their website. One remedy for the building owners would be no property taxes for a year — fat chance!

Art Ellwanger

Spokane