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.
Audit their business! Bunch of fat cats taking in millions each year just to make the problem worse. They’ve put their money into real estate for a reason, wonder why they didn’t put it into hiring actual qualified personnel and a secure program???
Community service should be mandated for all DESC directors for the rest of their lives due to the complete misuse of funds and grant money. Not to mention, strengthening the drug market inside this state and in turn lengthening homelessness across the state for those drug users/sellers.
So, you want an audit, but you seem to have already made conclusions that they’ve somehow committed fraud or misuse. “Mandating community service” just means you’ll prevent anyone qualified from ever taking on the job, since why would you if you had to be punished right away for doing it?
“Not to mention, strengthening the drug market inside this state and in turn lengthening homelessness across the state for those drug users/sellers.”
That doesn’t even make sense – if it’s residents of DESC we’re talking about buying drugs, they’re literally housed IN DESC! DESC isn’t short term housing, it’s lifetime housing.
A lot of anger, perhaps justified perhaps not, without a lot of solutions. If we shut down DESC, the residents have to go somewhere, and that somewhere will still cost money – probably taxpayer money.
Evguy- So DESC is still a mess of a organization that pulls in millions of dollars every year but can’t hire security at their buildings, can’t have strict policies in place or organized disipline, can’t install cameras, can’t create a working system with the police, CANT RUN A HOMELESS REHABILITATION CENTER CORRECTLY !!
They cant even stop drugs being sold and used on their own doorsteps. ( literally a few feet in front of their door – multiple DESC buildings have been allowing this for years!)
This isn’t a debate about DESC, its facts about how they cant run their own business while it directly affects the public. ( while making millions as a business, including taking in grant money and outside donations)
DESC is garbage ran organization where making “money” is the priority or else we’d see it being used to control the ludacris problems it has created above
Yes, by allowing homeless users to sell, use and buy drugs safely at the front doorstep of their facility, has strengthened the drug industry for the homeless in this state at thise facilities. Which in turn, leads to longer use for those affected, potentiallyl increasing their own homelessness. DONT CODDLE OR ENABLE THIS BEHAVIOUR – ITS DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT A DRUG REHABILITATION IS SUPPOSED TO DO! !
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
*** More supportive information about DESC’s failure below, information from past DESC employees, very worried residents and some words from prior homeless members living inside – NOT GOOD :
https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/16vn365/she_overdosed_and_no_one_noticed_grim_realities/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/rzc29g/the_downtown_emergency_service_center_desc_is_the/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1hqcikq/neighboring_building_is_a_decs_housing_project/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/1mg2d6p/burien_council_member_slams_descrun_facility_over/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/17huzpt/one_of_seattles_largest_homelessness_services/
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.
DESC NEEDS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL.
ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD BE REPLACED, NEW GUIDELINES AND STRICT POLICYS IN PLACE THAT PREVENT THEIR CURRENT TRACK RECORD OF BEING WELL KNOWN “DRUG HUBS”, AND MISUSE OF THEIR FUNDS TO LINE THEIR OWN POCKETS.
NO RULES OR STRICT POLICYS IN PLACE…. DESC NEEDS TO START OVER.
Here’s the reality for you, most people are sympathetic to those in need and are willing to help for societies benefit, what people have an issue with is blatant dysfunction and overt waste of effort and recourses. If in fact the Housing First model or Low Barrier like DESC actually helped rather than enabled and perpetuated the addiction and associated societal costs we wouldn’t need having such a fallout from what’s happening in Burien.
If we could get AT&T to remove the faded red metal benches on it’s SW corner across the street it would also help limit the areas to nod off high and leave trash etc.
Nothing is 100 percent. In fact , the housing first model has shown to be effective 90 percent of the time. That model includes mental health and employment support and recovery from addictions. All of that is provided at DESC.
All of the accusations are about non-DESC residents and willfull ignorance of what DESC is actually providing. These people were around before DESC, and they will not magically go away if DESC does.
A lot of accusations and anecdotes and little to no actual substantiation. Fear is not a substitute for facts.
Oh please, what evidence is there of any successful drug addiction recovery taking place especially with the amount of open drug usage outside. Supplying tin foil and needles to anyone who asks just promotes the daily migration of junkies to and from the Transit Center and a one stop shop for drugs based on simple supply and demand.
*Homeless-based recovery centers are the ones that need help, and when your talking about WA state… the DESC organization sticks out like a giant sore thumb because its being terribly ran (for years now) – hence its results we see throughout Seattle and its suburbs.
At DESC the top board of directors is making millions of dollars every year… all while they refuse to add strict policies, hire more staff personnel and security measures, install cameras, create a police system as they will be in contact constantly and actually prosper in helping the homeless transition.
( This isn’t a hard issue to solve if you were actually passionate about it and followed through with a disciplined plan, but DESC isn’t – its about making money only for the board of directors. )
—100% blame goes to the DESC organization and they need to held accountable—
NotOnMySideOfTheCloud, I speak from real experience as a prior homeless man. These homeless shelters, specifically DESC buildings are targets by homeless to distribute drugs and have been for years. I used to buy morning and night each day in Burien and West Seattle and this was just last year. So I’d like to know where your coming from when you say what you are about DESC?
Do you know the homeless struggle, do you know what itslike? Do you have real life experience speaking for this corrupt organization? Have you workd for DESC before or been admitted? Have you ever been homeless? And if not, then shouldn’t be speaking on it, especially defending DESC in any way.
I got transitioned back into life when I quit drugs last year and was offered a oppurtunity to start working labor in construction. I’m so thankful for the public who has helped shaped me into the man I am today. DESC did the opposite for me due to its corrupt, non caring attitude and promotion of drugs at every building. I would like to see change as they did not help me but made me realize there was almost no hope for people like me
The problem here is treatment is being “provided”, which means it is optional. None of the residents have any skin in the game. They get a place to live and have zero accountability, nor are they expected to give anything back (in time, talent or treasure) for being provided with such an amazing opportunity. There is no incentive for them to better themselves in any way. It is evident when we drive by every day. This will continue as long as we as a community refuse to say “enough”.
DESC isn’t being ran correctly and that is obvious, all the information about the buildings being a hub for drug activity is fairly accurate, not to mention their housing a reasonable amount of drug addicted members.
For instance, why don’t they have cameras outside or different security measures knowing what their professional rehabilitation business brings, specifically from running it for years now???? Why wouldn’t they change their security at these DESC buildings with all the well known drug activity and crime it brings.. the same problems have occurred for years now at DESC buildings?
The PROBLEM is the organization that runs this program. Too loose, not enough repercussions, not enough over-reach or rules, not enough critical thinking into running a successful program for the homeless or having the experience to know what comes with the territory and how to circumvent.
Lack of duty and care.. like others have mentioned above: the DESC program and all staff need to be fired, re-trained, or all of the above. – Rebrand/rehire qualified candidates with a new strict system to house recovering and transitioning homeless members. (For starters, I don’t think you can help recovering homeless members by enabling the use-or-sale of drugs on your front door step everyday…)
Some of what you have commented may be true, but just sticking a drug addicted and or mentally ill person into a room and then closing the door and saying bye, bye is just as bad as not helping them at all.
These non-profits and activists can preach all they want and think they are the glory-be’s but all they are doing is reaping the $$$. They don’t give a rats a$$ about the people in the DESC Bldg all they care about is the money they receive from the taxpayers.
Come on WA. State, Governor Ferguson, get these people the REAL HELP they need that was one of your campaign promises that you’d get crime and homelessness fixed, you’ve been in office going on 9 months…don’t see any change yet.
And November is right around the corner we all know who not to vote for!
Who in the world wants to move somewhere that isn’t safe? The first priority of any city should be the safety of its citizens. I never hear about keeping our small businesses who work hard to serve us. Why would they stay in an unsafe environment? If you don’t live in Town Square, don’t lecture me about taking care of people. It is much better now, but we went through hell because of outside politicians using us and activists with no real jobs and plenty of time on their hands ti bring people into Burien. Some businesses closed and citizens, many elderly, were afraid to go to the library or dentist. My
life was threatened twice and I was called filthy names. Not in my backyard? You betcha!
This article should also focus on the 20-30 drug addicts that all group together outside on the corners in front, at the laundromat nearby, in front of the autoshop across the street, the dealers walking up to sell, the graffiti and litter all around the neighboring buildings and that this facility attracts more homeless from other regions to the neighborhood. I live in the neighborhood and everytime I drive by there is new faces and people either doing drugs or slumped over from being high. The police department right around the corner turns a blind eye to all of it, I support homeless services but if this organization isn’t helping the people inside the building either, there is definitely an issue. Is this organization helping these people or enabling them while they collect grant money? And why do small business owners and the tax paying community have to deal with this? This organization also needs to be responsible for what is going on outside of the building as well.
DESC made the same claims prior to placing one of these facilities on Delridge. The management philosophy encourages and allows open heroin and drug abuse, does not respond with any intervention when their residents throw heroin needles out windows, steal, assault and drug deal openly out of the facility. When the police are called, DESC staff refuse to allow them access to the suspect, and block any attempts at accountability. You can’t run any social service program effectively without accountability. These facilities in reality are morgues for the homeless.
This morning, Friday, September 5th I drove by the DESC and witnessed the following behaviors outside adjacent (public use) building corners. Open drug usage, junkies stooped over nodding off high, a woman dancing in the intersection across from at least six gathered in a litter strewn drug huddle. For DESC to claim they don’t tolerate such behaviors outside it’s facility is so comical, if called out they will say as in the past “how can you be certain those you see actually live here” as a clear denial they are to blame, I can assure you before DESC that menagerie of dysfunction didn’t exist there.
Make sure you call the police next time. A paper trail will help make change better than not having one.
I have already stopped and talked with an Officer parked outside it and all he had to say is “I have arrested one or two people almost every day here” so you could say it’s already a destination. Just think how every Officers time could be better spent serving all of Burien instead of that huge drain of Public Safety and Emergency Services effort and budget.
Hopefully EVguy clearly understands that because of this organization’s (DESC) failure to control its mess and appropriately run a rehabilitation center correctly … it has brought this illicit, illegal activity, and toxic environment to DESC buildings specifically everyday. It also pulls homeless and drug users from all over this state to these locations because of how loose their being ran. Not to mention a homeless drug user will typically use a very small amount of drugs that get them by daily – speaking to police, their looking to bust suppliers, not check out 500 calls a day because a homeless man is smoking a crumb of something on a sidewalk…
Regardless – DESC isn’t new to this and should have everything in place to prevent this from happening at their facilities, while working with the police and city(s) – maintaining their company’s mission.
People are mad and they have every right to be.. we didn’t do anything as law abiding citizens… we just paid for it under the guise of more control and a better future for our city. Are we getting that with DESC in Burien? No
Burien police are Deputies in the Sheriff’s Department. The King County Sheriff , Patti Cole-Tindall, has for many years been a member of the Board of Directors of DESC. So every Deputy stop or arrest at DESC says “Boss, you are being irresponsible, you are not keeping the peace!” Sheriff Cole-Tindall makes us live with this,
her terrible conflict of interest. But this is why DESC must provide its own uniformed robust 24 hour, around-the- building, security.
Lots of unscrupulous people operating in this sham DESC organization. Criminals always like to stay out of the public eye, transparency exposes their true activities. The time has come to condemn and dismantle this Hotel California.
And again Gov. Ferguson and AG Nick Brown quit worrying about the other Washington and start worrying about the one you live in!
My wife visits her sister in facility ran by the same organization and it’s obvious what’s taking place outside the facility, I couldn’t imagine what’s taking place inside. It’s taxpayers hard earned income funding these facilities without management transparency and accountability. Programs should be in place for recovery and time period for continuing residency. A curfew in place for residents. There should be quarterly audits to weed out corrupt administration.
Oh look, Burien residents slavering over the chance to heap scorn and slander on homeless/formerly homeless people. You people need to find Jesus
This isn’t about being against homeless rehabilitation centers. The real issue is DESC—and how it’s currently being run.
Everyone understands that homelessness is a reality, and most people support programs designed to provide real help and rehabilitation. But when an organization like DESC claims to be a professional, qualified provider, the public expects it to operate with integrity, transparency, and results.
Right now, DESC is not meeting those expectations. It’s failing to uphold its own standards, failing the people it claims to serve, and in many cases, negatively impacting the communities around its facilities.
If DESC promotes itself as a solution, then it needs to act like one. The current approach isn’t working—and it’s time for real accountability.
Driving past this facility two days ago, I witnessed two individuals dancing around – one a morbidly obese woman with just a T-shirt and nothing else, the other a young g man who was stripping off his clothes.
I seen a girl in a baiting suit at safeway on 128th that looked as she had not done her summer exercises . But it is the summer time so i guess it’s normal . But if she was homeless or a drug addict then it would made to be a problem . Then i read on facebook groups the other night their was a woman some ware along the side of ambaum in burien naked pleasuring her self for everyone to see . The police where called by a few people .