The Nov. 3, 2025, Burien City Council meeting was dominated by a controversial update on the Downtown Emergency Service Center’s (DESC) Bloomside building.
While DESC highlighted positive resident stories and on-site support services for a population with profound needs, Councilmember Linda Akey leveled serious accusations, calling the building a “crackhouse” due to heavy drug use and dealing, and a high volume of over 600 police calls in the past year, alleging that police were restricted from entering the premises to root out crime. The ensuing exchange, which also touched upon issues like unpermitted pets and the slow eviction process, illuminated deep divisions regarding the facility’s impact on the community and its effectiveness in achieving its mission.
DESC Bloomside Update
This was the first update from DESC to the council in 15 months, since they opened the Bloomside building in downtown Burien. Bloomside houses 95 formerly homeless individuals in individual apartments. These apartments are intended as a permanent housing option, though a few residents have left voluntarily. All residents have been determined to have the most profound need. Half of the residents qualify for substance use disorder, and of those, 60% have enrolled in addiction services. There have been six fatal overdoses since the building opened, and many more revived with naloxone, which is readily available within the facility.
One resident was highlighted during the presentation. This man has never had his own apartment before, and now voluntarily sweeps up around the building as a way to give back. He is recently sober, attends AA meetings, and has even started a support group in the building.
Councilmember Akey challenged this idyllic portrayal, saying she knows this individual and he says it’s incredibly difficult to stay sober in the environment of heavy drug use at Bloomside. Akey said the building is a “federally funded crackhouse” (more than one-quarter of DESC’s revenue is derived from federal grants and contracts), with drugs being dealt in and around the building every day, theft from area businesses, and trash littering the community. She said a female resident begged her for help getting out of the building, where she did not feel safe.
Councilmember Akey went on to say there have been over 600 calls to 911 from the building in the last year, listing the many crimes that are impacting local police services. She asked if DESC had plans to reimburse the police, or if they would allow officers to root out drug dealers from within the building.
Presenters from DESC responded that they provide 24/7 onsite services for residents, and that they do allow police in the building and partner with them regularly. He said Akey’s concerns were misplaced. He averred that they never said there wouldn’t be issues housing this population, but just that they would be responsive to those issues.
At this point City Manager Adolfo Bailon cut in, stating that the police have shared with city staff that they aren’t allowed in the building, even when dealers have been confirmed to be inside. He had it on good authority that DESC does not work with the police to fight crime in the building. DESC responded that the police need a warrant to enter any individual apartment, and that the building has to protect the civil liberties of residents.
DESC does require residents to follow a “Good Neighbor Policy”, with eviction as the final step for repeated failure to comply with the rules. It was said during this presentation that they avoid eviction as much as possible, as this would lead the individual to living back on Burien’s streets. No residents, to date, have been evicted. Two potential evictions are in the works at present, but the eviction process is a slow one.
Councilmember Alex Andrade asked about the building’s pet policy, sharing harrowing stories of pets at Bloomside that had been trained to attack, an animal that had been given a deadly dose of fentanyl, and pets being bred with the intent to sell. She said not a single animal at Bloomside has a pet license. DESC responded that their policy requires a license and vaccination, and that they plan to have a visiting veterinarian distribute vaccines. Their formal policy only allows support animals, but residents are bringing other pets in as well. He said that pets aren’t as much of a problem in other DESC buildings as they are at Bloomside, and they are actively working on it.
As far as loitering, camping, trash, and drug deals outside of the building, DESC maintains that these are not Bloomside residents. DESC recently added a new position dedicated to identifying these individuals, so they can be connected with services in order to reduce the issues around the building. They noted that the Community Advisory Council continues to meet quarterly to discuss issues as well as ways they can serve the community better.
ICE Emergency Measures
During Public Comments, many people requested urgent steps be taken to protect Burien residents from ICE agents. They wanted an update to the city’s sanctuary ordinance, stating that the city will not utilize city time, resources, or property to assist with ICE activity. They want ICE agents to be required to have badges and no face coverings when they are working in the city. They said King County already has a similar ordinance, and that Burien should take immediate action to get this in place.
City Manager Bailon explained that the city is currently mediating a lawsuit with the King County Sheriff’s Office on a different issue, so he wants to make sure that anything they ask of the police regarding ICE be run by KCSO first, to make sure the agency is on board. He also stated that this is a new request and they need time to look into it.
A great sense of urgency was expressed by many councilmembers to take action on this, and Councilmember Hugo Garcia added that he has been asking for this for months. Bailon clarified that he is not trying to stall, just wants to make sure he knows exactly what they are asking for and that it is legal.
It was decided that they will hold a meeting to clarify exactly what will be asked. Three councilmembers – Garcia, Jimmy Matta, and Andrade – volunteered to represent the council at this meeting.
Saving Mathison Park Trees
Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore received unanimous support for directing the city manager to write a letter to the Port commissioner, insisting on a full environmental impact statement before removing six mature trees from Mathison Park. She said the Port did not give a compelling or sufficient explanation for the removal of these trees, which are not in the flight path.
Video
Watch full, raw video of the meeting below:
DESC is definitely a drug den funded by us, the taxpayers. Good to know that only six overdose fatalities in 15 months, several more ODs recovered, 600 police calls, a female resident (just men as residents, right?), animal abuse, training attack dogs, drug dealing…. What else could go wrong?
Some questions come to mind? How many DESC residents are in treatment for substance abuse? alcoholism? mental health counseling? How many residents are in recovery to be returned to the community? How many are expected to be at DESC or similar facility forever? And, how much does it cost the taxpayer per month for each resident? How much does this cost compare to the amount we fund for kids in school? How much does the City of Burien gain or lose each month / year from having DESC in our downtown core?
Trash around the DESC building and the immediate neighborhood is clearly from DESC residents or their visitors given the contents of the trash.
Looking for some perspective here.
Yes, clearly it would be better for these folk to be distributed among Burien streets and parks.
Yeah ND, like the progressive liberals were trying to do without a structured plan
The homelessness crisis demands thoughtful solutions, yet Councilmember Linda Akey repeatedly relies on exaggeration, personal attacks, and confrontational tactics. Calling DESC Bloomside a “federally funded crackhouse” is inflammatory and misleading. The facility houses 95 formerly homeless residents, provides 24/7 support, addiction services, and life-saving interventions, and is actively addressing the challenges Akey claims to highlight.
Akey has also misrepresented volunteers, falsely claiming a citizen authorized a homeless encampment, despite video evidence showing otherwise. She personally confronted homeless residents outside her home, insisting “I have authority, I have authority,” which led to a profane exchange. These tactics do nothing to advance sustainable solutions and undermine public trust.
Permanent supportive housing requires respect for civil liberties, coordinated public health strategies, and fact-based engagement, not sensationalist labels or political posturing.
Burien deserves councilmembers who focus on solutions, respect the truth, and work for the good of the entire community. Repeated hostility and misinformation are simply unbecoming of anyone in public office.
Under both Washington’s Open Government principles and the First Amendment, elected officials are not only entitled but obligated to question whether taxpayer-funded facilities like DESC Bloomside are operating safely, transparently, and in line with community standards. Calling attention to rampant drug activity, public safety failures, or resident complaints is not “inflammatory”, it’s oversight.
Councilmember Akey’s reference to “a federally funded crackhouse” was not a random insult but an expression of community frustration over well-documented issues surrounding DESC facilities throughout King County, including repeated 911 calls, overdose incidents, and public disorder tied to unsupervised “harm reduction” models. The public has a right to expect accountability when federal or state funds are used to enable rather than remedy addiction and crime.
Second, the claim that she “misrepresented volunteers” ignores the documented confusion and lack of coordination between the City, activists, and outside groups operating encampments without authorization. Her statements reflected legitimate concern over unauthorized use of public property and potential violations of municipal code, not personal attacks. The cited “video evidence” does not negate her claim but confirms that community members were acting beyond the city’s formal approval process, which is precisely the problem she was identifying.
Third, the attempt to portray Akey’s personal confrontation with individuals camping outside her home as “hostile” ignores the context: an elected official has every right to defend her property and safety, and to question illegal camping in residential zones. Civility does not require silence in the face of unlawful conduct or community disruption.
Finally, the closing moral lecture about “respect for civil liberties” and “fact-based engagement” rings hollow when it’s used selectively to protect agencies and activists from scrutiny. Respect for civil liberties applies equally to residents, taxpayers, and business owners who are forced to endure the consequences of failed policies.
Sorry bud
To say the least, Councilmember Akey did not “question” anything. She made several accusations based upon hearsay and lack of context. She was corrected with facts and context. Those facts don’t support your spin or your narrative. Fear is not a substitute.
She does not live in a house, but a condo. The homeless that were in front of her building (about a year ago), were not DESC residents. Perhaps if the chruch tent camp was not denied an extention of their permit, they would not have migrated to downtown.
You certainly seem to have the gift for misinformation. When we moved here, nobody said, by the way, we now hold you responsible for drug addicts who refuse treatment and live on the streets. I feel no responsibility for someone who wants to destroy themselves and others in their wake.
I want ICE in Burien and flush out ALL of the illegals. I was attact in the library and bunched in the nose for no reason, he was on drugs and giving the librarians a real bad time. He was arested, but I bet he’s on the streets again. A job for ICE sense the sanctuary city of Burien wont do what is right to protect it’s people.
I’m really starting to see an uptick in progressive orientated agenda and in reality, look at the constant issues that seem to keep coming when that view is involved?
Living in Burien for over 15years now.. It has always turned into a giant gross fight when it should be simple: “lets get this fixed and corrected for the betterment of all people” etc etc ( I’m a moderate democrat and it has been frightening to watch – this needs to be looked at
Progressive involvement or cause of:
– Lawsuits and fighting with the city of Burien
– Hateful speech of current Burien council members
– Homelessness debacle in Burien for years and DESC
– Minimum wage debacle
– Policing and laws debacle
– Vandalism and Crime issues
I just want to say a few things.. Before you post something get your facts straight.. Most blomside residents pay rent.. 1/3 of their income, Alot of the residents are veterans Not all residents are on drugs, At bloomside the residents have the same lease agreement any one of you have that are renters. So the police need to have a warrant to enter someones apartment the same as any of you..just because people living there have been homeless, battling addiction or mental health does not mean they are less than you in anyway. If you all took the same amount of time to go there and actually meet people as you do complaining and putting out false information then you can see most people there are really good people