Early Tuesday morning, Oct. 15, 2024, King County, in partnership with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), relocated 55 individuals living at an encampment near the District Courthouse/King County Sheriff’s Office Precinct 4 in Burien into shelter or housing.

The encampment, located on county-owned property near the intersection of SW 148th Street and 6th Ave SW, has now been “officially closed” and fenced in for cleaning and remediation.

Tuesday morning’s operation – which started around 6 a.m. – was part of a coordinated outreach effort that began in July 2024, with workers visiting the site daily to build trust and connect residents with essential services.

The county said that a by-name list of the 55 individuals living at the encampment was developed to ensure targeted support.

Outreach efforts also included providing identification documents, medical care, and access to a nearby day center offering meals and case management.

In June 2024, King County redirected $1 million and 35 pallet shelters to KCRHA after resources initially allocated to the City of Burien remained unused for over a year. The initiative aimed to help those living at the encampment transition to safer living conditions.

In the lead-up to Tuesday’s closure, outreach workers consistently visited the site to remind residents of the impending shutdown. Signs were posted to clearly communicate the final closure date. On the day of the closure, support services were available to assist those who had not been previously listed.

The county said that both the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and Burien Police Department (BPD) were present to ensure a smooth transition, but KCSO told The B-Town Blog they did not serve in any roles for the actual removal of people.

Following the removal of residents, King County’s Facility Maintenance Division began cleaning the site, which will remain fenced off for further remediation.

King County Executive Dow Constantine’s 2025 budget proposal includes funding to open over 200 additional units of housing with services for people experiencing homelessness, as well as to support affordable housing projects near transit stations.

Photos

Below are photos by Lainey Poelzer of Clover Laine Photography (click arrows or swipe images to view slideshow):

Read our extensive coverage of the ongoing homelessness issue in Burien here.

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7 Comments

  1. 55 accepted help out of the 75 to 100 that lived there??? I guess thats pretty good odds, wonder why this didn’t happen sooner since there were these “advocates” supposedly helping and offering from the beginning.

  2. It keeps getting mentioned that King County gave 35 pallet houses and the million dollars offered to Burien to KCRHA. But there’s no follow up on what’s been done with the money or pallet homes.

    1. The money was allocated to KCHRA for use because that agency is the overall provider for services. King County realized it would go alot further than the political stunt they tried shoving on Burien with the shack village.

  3. I believe Burien didn’t accept it, it wouldn’t have covered the expense of it all and KC wanted the city to pay for it, so they let it expire

  4. Looking for my brother, last I heard anything he was at the encampment… then it got cleared out no idea where to look now 😔

    1. Hopefully he has accepted help and services to better his life situation. You should contact KCHRA and ask if he connected with help as that camp was inhumane and enabled far too long.

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