As the Burien City Council gets set to discuss its proposed new Ordinance 818 (a ban on public camping) at Monday night’s (Aug. 21, 2023) regular meeting, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) sent a letter to the city saying that it “respectfully opposes” it.
“Housing is a basic human need that every person should have access to,” KCRHA said in its letter. “In South King County, 5,695 people report one of the South King County cities as their city of last residence, according to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). At the same time, all of South King County has a total of 529 emergency shelter beds, the majority of which are reserved for families or women with children.”
Recent issues with homelessness in Burien have raised questions about what role the KCRHA might play in the city’s efforts to resolve encampment site issues in Burien, especially in light of a private group recently helping to move homeless campers from outside the Grocery Outlet – something the city was unable to do.
King County has also not yet released $1 million to the City of Burien to help solve the homelessness problem. The funds’ release is contingent on the city identifying a location for emergency housing, which it doesn’t yet have, despite discussing it since March.
Burien has just two emergency shelters (reserved for women and families with children), one transitional housing program for Veterans, and one upcoming supportive housing project (DESC), which is under construction.
“As a result, people living unsheltered in Burien have few opportunities to come inside and receive services so that they can stabilize,” KCRHA said.
“If the experience of homelessness becomes criminalized, even if well-intentioned, the consequences may cost additional taxpayer dollars while also extending the issues around unsheltered homelessness,” KCRHA said in the letter. “Anti-camping ordinances do not solve homelessness; instead they continue the cycle of displacing people without providing any safe or stable alternative place to live, increasing the risk that people lose their connections with outreach and services, and making it more difficult for them to rebuild their lives.”
“Criminalization is expensive because of the costs of increased policing and jail—which is more expensive than housing. In addition, criminalization and repeated displacement can cause additional trauma for people experiencing homelessness, as belongings are lost or destroyed, communities separated, and people are disconnected from outreach and necessary services. People experiencing homelessness do not have the resources to pay fines, and a record of fines or misdemeanors may make it harder for a person to find a stable job or stable housing.”
As we previously reported, KCRHA also sent a letter to the City on Aug. 1, regarding claims made at a July 24 meeting when Deputy Mayor Kevin Schilling asserted that a potential partner agency (REBLX) had 116 units of housing available. KCRHA stated in that letter that Schilling’s claims were “inaccurate” (and Schilling responded to that).
Below is full text of KCRHA’s Aug. 18 letter:
“Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers,
“The King County Regional Homelessness Authority respectfully opposes proposed Ordinance 818.
“Housing is a basic human need that every person should have access to. In South King County, 5,695 people report one of the South King County cities as their city of last residence, according to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). At the same time, all of South King County has a total of 529 emergency shelter beds, the majority of which are reserved for families or women with children.
“Burien has just two emergency shelters (reserved for women and families with children), one transitional housing program for Veterans, and one upcoming supportive housing project. As a result, people living unsheltered in Burien have few opportunities to come inside and receive services so that they can stabilize.
“If the experience of homelessness becomes criminalized, even if well-intentioned, the consequences may cost additional taxpayer dollars while also extending the issues around unsheltered homelessness. Anti-camping ordinances do not solve homelessness; instead they continue the cycle of displacing people without providing any safe or stable alternative place to live, increasing the risk that people lose their connections with outreach and services, and making it more difficult for them to rebuild their lives.
“Criminalization is expensive because of the costs of increased policing and jail—which is more expensive than housing. In addition, criminalization and repeated displacement can cause additional trauma for people experiencing homelessness, as belongings are lost or destroyed, communities separated, and people are disconnected from outreach and necessary services. People experiencing homelessness do not have the resources to pay fines, and a record of fines or misdemeanors may make it harder for a person to find a stable job or stable housing.
“Recognizing that homelessness affects all of our communities, the Regional Homelessness Authority was designed to unify and coordinate homeless response services, using equity and justice principles, and focused on Housing First as the path to stability and rebuilding lives. We are grateful for the partnership of cities across King County in supporting this work, and we are committed to working with the City of Burien to understand your goals and co-create policies that meet the needs of both housed and unhoused neighbors so that all our residents can thrive.
“In Partnership,
– Nigel Herbig | He/Him
Intergovernmental Relations Manager
King County Regional Homelessness Authority”
Deputy Mayor Schilling Responds
Here’s Schilling’s response to KCRHA’S most recent letter:
“This is an issue of fairness for how local jurisdictions are treated by larger and better funded government agencies. The mission of the KCRHA operation, funded by hundreds of millions of dollars of county taxpayer money, should be to work collaboratively with cities within their jurisdictional capacity to get folks off the street and into shelter and services. I’m willing to do that and have worked tirelessly to find options in and outside Burien to achieve that goal, a goal I have never strayed from.
“To my knowledge, KCRHA hasn’t publicly lobbied against any other jurisdiction proposing or passing legislation to regulate unlawful camping or permanent tent encampements. Burien is considering legislation identical to what Bellevue has on books for unlawful public camping.
“Additionally, other jurisdictions like Sea-Tac, Kent, Auburn, and Mercer Island also have ordinances to set parameters for use of public space in regards to camping.
“It’s disillussioning to see KCRHA signaling out Burien for wanting to bring its laws in alignment with other communities, when KCRHA should be collaborating with communities and their individual needs.”
City of Burien Responds
We reached out to the City of Burien about this letter, and here’s their response:
“The City of Burien has asked the KCRHA if it has expressed its concern on municipal legislation that governs camping on public property to other municipalities, including the City of Bellevue.
“We are waiting for their response.”
Local lawmakers will likely mention and discuss KCRHA’s latest letter at Monday night’s council meeting.
Yes we notice the non Burien residents, people who do not live here, vote here, are always trying to put their will on we Burienites. Why accept a measly one million on condition we open up a shelter that will burn through the funds in less than (17 months) opening day of the Burien DESC?
Add to this the fact the DESC is now pushing back on the terms of being required to provide 30 units for Burien homeless. King County and its operatives have zero love for Burien. We have them millions and they send us crime and crumbs in return. Take back your DESC, we welcome the return of tax paying, job creating businesses in our downtown area. We know what strings are attached to the million dollars. We know your operatives will flood our counsel meetings- may the actual voter living in Burien be allowed a voice.
Would someone be able to provide the towns/cities where these KCRHA folks live? I am interested to know if they practice what they preach. Why have they singled out Burien to put out Welcome Homeless signs? They should put their money into tackling addiction, otherwise, homelessness will continue.
I applaud the city council for attempting to pass a new public camping ban. I hope they are successful tonight. Addicted criminals cannot be allowed to live on our streets.
The reason they are messing with Burien is that the city council won’t kiss Dow Constantines ring.
KCRHA would love to turn Burien into another WA human dumpster, where homeless drug users can openly flout drug laws, and mentally ill people can rage up and down the street, half naked and wrapped in tattered plastic. I guess the benefit KCRHA isn’t disclosing is soup kitchens would soon follow, where local, hard working citizens would be able to rub elbows with homeless as they join together in the partaking of free meals.
I think each city like Burien, sea tac ,Tukwila, Kent, desmoines, federal way ,white center should all have to provide shelters for at least 150 persons. I think it should be written into law. It’s not like they can’t get funding from the government to do so. Rich people are getting richer and the poor living in the street. I would be ashamed of my self to be a leader in our state and not be able to fix thus problem. But you have no problems investing in real estate and private prisons. Making your self richer and keeping the poor down and inslaved by making it illegal to be homeless