Spokane Business Files $3.5M Tort Claim Over Downtown Homeless Housing

In Seattle, Neha Nariya and her late father leased a hotel to the City and King County in 2020 to serve as a homeless shelter, but after the lease ended in December 2024, the building was left contaminated with methamphetamine and fentanyl, leading Nariya to sue the city and county for failing to clean and manage the property properly. The lawsuit highlights a tragic 2024 incident involving a baby found deceased in the hotel with drugs in the system, blaming inadequate tenant supervision. Meanwhile, in Spokane, business owner Linda Biel has filed a $3.49 million tort claim against the City of Spokane and Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, accusing them of creating crime hotspots near her downtown salon due to several transitional housing projects. Biel reports a surge in criminal activity, drug use, and safety concerns, causing her to plan relocating her business after 16 years. Catholic Charities has responded to these claims by calling them misleading, inaccurate, and orchestrated, defending their role and the facilities they operate. Both cases illustrate ongoing tensions between housing initiatives for vulnerable populations and concerns from property owners and businesses about safety and property conditions.