Safety concerns are on the rise in Burien as residents speak out about the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) over its Bloomside supportive housing facility.
Founded in 1979, DESC is a Seattle-based nonprofit that provides housing and health services to people experiencing chronic homelessness and severe behavioral health challenges. Over the decades, DESC has grown into one of the region’s largest supportive housing providers, operating multiple facilities in King County – and Burien since 2024 – and offering programs ranging from permanent supportive housing to crisis response and integrated mental health care.
Background on DESC in Burien
Bloomside opened at 801 SW 150th Street in fall 2024 with about 90 units of permanent supportive housing as part of Burien’s Affordable Housing Demonstration Project.
DESC came to Burien when the City Council voted 6–1 on June 21, 2021 to include its supportive housing project, later named Bloomside, in the city’s Affordable Housing Demonstration Program. Councilmembers Kevin Schilling, Sofia Aragon, Jimmy Matta, Cydney Moore, Krystal Marx, and Pedro Olguín voted in favor, while Nancy Tosta was the lone “no” vote.
The Burien Community Advisory Committee for Bloomside began meeting on April 19, 2023. Burien community members include Nancy Kick, Carrie Ly, Project Manager of Sea Mar Burien/White Center, Aaron Burkhalter with LEAD, NAVOS Chief Operating Officer Sarah Coleman, Director of Discover Burien Debra George, Latino Civic Alliance Board Chair Nina Martinez, and Project Manager of Kent Sea Mar Ricardo del Fierro.
DESC staff members include Executive Director Daniel Malone, Director of Housing Noah Fay, Executive Coordinator Maria Jacinto, Director of Property Development Sondra Nielsen, Housing Development Coordinator Akhil Arun, Construction Coordinator Christopher Ledestich, and Community Engagement Coordinator Mateo Chavez.
The City of Burien attests it does not provide funding for the Bloomside building or its operations.
Residents React
Local “street advocate” Jesse Giles said in an Aug. 10 written statement to The B-Town Blog that there have been between 12 to 20 deaths at Bloomside over the past year, only three of which were known to be fentanyl related. Giles said those claims have not been publicly confirmed.
“It is my recent, and hopeful misunderstanding from others living there, that between 12 and 20 residents have died at Bloomside in the past year,” Giles wrote.
Giles, who has worked with Burien’s unhoused community for more than a decade, said they were barred from entering the building this summer after attempting to deliver supplies.
Giles said they had “…worked with a Seattle-based organization to procure and distribute valuable and much-needed supplies (wound care, hygiene, micro-enterprise, household) to people in Burien. In attempting to deliver items to Bloomside residents, I have been met with indifference at the front door, and have had to coordinate with others, hoping items reached their intended recipients.”
Giles added:
“On Aug. 8, I attempted to deliver items to Bloomside specifically during daytime office hours for transparency, legitimacy, and to possibly formally meet anyone from management. Over the building’s speaker system, I was informed that I am now barred from the building.”
Several B-Town Blog readers have chimed in their concerns/defense of DESC via our popular Comments section, especially on Burien resident John White’s Letter to the Editor published on Sept. 1, where he said:
“I urge every citizen of Burien to attend the next City Council meeting and demand action. We must stand together and call for the DESC in Burien to be shut down immediately. Our city deserves better.”
For transparency purposes to our readers, White donated $1,200 to Councilmember Hugo Garcia’s opponent, Jessica Ivey, for the 2025 election.
City of Burien Responds
In a statement issued Aug. 28, the City of Burien said it has heard complaints from residents regarding activity at the site, and shared them with DESC. The nonprofit, which operates Bloomside, confirmed it is addressing violations of its internal “Good Neighbor Policy.”
“The City has heard concerns from community members around actions occurring within the building and has shared those with DESC, including violations of building policy,” Devin Chicras, City of Burien Communications and Public Engagement Manager told The B-Town Blog. “DESC has confirmed to the City that they are actively working to address violations of their policy.”
As part of those steps, DESC requested the city remove benches along the east side of the property to discourage people who are not residents from congregating outside the building, according to the City.
“Bloomside is home to 95 tenants, one-third of whom were previously living unhoused in Burien. Now, they have homes, stability, and support in their community, along with wraparound services to help deal with substance use disorder and mental health challenges,” a spokesperson for Bloomside stated.
The B-Town Blog also reached out to all Burien City Councilmembers last week for individual comments on the matter, without response.
“All Burien community members deserve to feel safe, and the City remains dedicated to its continued efforts to expand enhanced public safety approaches for Burien,” the City told The B-Town Blog.
The City acknowledged that DESC is one of several service providers operating in Burien and said it will continue coordinating with agencies on safety and housing issues.
“We recognize that DESC is one of many community partners providing services within Burien, and that these issues are not exclusive to Burien alone,” their statement said. “The City will continue, as always, to work collaboratively with all of our partners to serve the Burien community.”
DESC Issues Statement
DESC issued a statement on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, addressing recent criticism of Bloomside, its permanent supportive housing site in Burien.
The agency clarified that it prioritized tenancy for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Burien and emphasized its collaboration with local police, first responders, hospitals, city officials, and advocacy groups to ensure safety for both tenants and neighbors.
Bloomside enforces a zero-tolerance policy for illicit activity and requires residents to sign a “Good Neighbor Policy” addressing conduct like loitering or disruptive behavior.
While local reports have cited “600 police responses” this year, DESC says the figure is misleading, as most entries were routine police logs – not tenant-related calls – and actual requests for assistance were limited and generally involved nonviolent or maintenance issues.
Photo: Mural by Angelina Villalobos, photo courtesy of Barry Johnson, Overall Creative
Bloomside/DESC, with over $36 million in ready cash according to its own 2024 audit, and apparent extravagant expenditures for its own management, can certainly afford to post continuous 24 hour around the clockrobust security outside its own building to keep Burien residents and its own residents safe. City of Burien should demand it do that.
What will that do? Do you think private security can do anything? At most, they could try and roughhouse someone onto… the sidewalk, out of the building.
They’re basically going to call 911, so you might as well ask for more police.
Zero tolerance my a**. Its called turn a blind eye & cash in. This place just enables people & coddles them like they are victims. This place needs to be shut down just like all of other failed places that they have had in the past. Its a strain on Buriens resources. & for those who cant see or believe that this is goin on day in & day out, go take a seat on one of those park benches DESC wants the city to remove & watch. It wont take long to see exactly what people are talkin about
Bunch of NIMBYs. The lack of compassion and empathy for people in need on these comment sections is embarrassing. You don’t know what these people have been through. You don’t know what they need. They don’t want to be unhoused. I’m sure they don’t want to have mental health or addiction problems. Be part of the solution or stop complaining. A real community uplifts, helps, and takes care of it’s most vulnerable and I hope Burien is such a place. Dog Bless.