Frustrations mount after Burien homeless camp relocates a block away from first location
Apr 4, 2023, 9:06 AM | Updated: 10:46 am
(Photo from KIRO 7)
(Photo from KIRO 7)
Frustrations are mounting after some people who were living at a homeless encampment that had just been cleared outside Burien’s City Hall and Library building have moved to a space a block away.
The campers were forced off the property in downtown Burien on Friday. Shortly after, tents appeared on an empty lot on Southwest 152nd Street and Sixth Avenue Southwest.
The lot is only one block west of the original location that was adjacent to Burien’s Town Square. The property is owned by the city and is overlooked by condominiums.
Burien’s City Council meeting on Monday turned into a three-hour debate about how to handle the homelessness issue.
One of the first questions asked by Burien Deputy Mayor Kevin Schilling was how many people were identified as unhoused and how many accepted placement into a shelter?
Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon said that only five people were identified as being unhoused and that three of those people were provided with housing.
For more than an hour, council members talked about options for housing and restroom facilities before a community member demanded solutions.
“People are not going to go out at night for dinner or anywhere else if they don’t feel comfortable walking around. Our property values are going to go to hell, and I would ask any of you, do you want this environment in your backyard?” said Burien resident David Gould.
City Manager Adolfo Bailon said agencies such as REACH were meeting with campers on a daily basis to let them know about available resources.
The Burien City Council released the following statement on Friday, Mar. 31, the day that campers had to move:
Today the Burien Condo Association began enforcement of their new policy which bans overnight camping on the Burien Library and City Hall property. The prohibition is part of a new code of conduct the Burien Condo Association adopted.
Service providers have been working intensively to find housing or shelter for the people living in tents.
The Burien Condo Association, a legal agreement between King County Library System (KCLS) and City of Burien, was formed in 2010 when the shared civic building housing the Burien Library and Burien City Hall opened. The Burien Library and City Hall building is managed through the Burien Condo Association. City staff and KCLS staff sit on the board. Changes in building policy, including new codes of conduct, must be approved by the Burien Condo Association.
City of Burien staff are aware that some individuals have moved their tents and belongings to a property owned by the City of Burien in downtown Burien on 152nd St. The City of Burien does not have a law that prohibits camping on public property, with the narrow exception of dedicated park spaces. This land is not park property and therefore is not subject to the park policy banning overnight camping.
The City of Burien is currently reviewing options to address community concerns.
