Burien delays housing vote as homelessness rises

Transitional housing units vote pushed back

Residents, business owners and unhoused people in Burien have mixed reactions on the city's ongoing response to the homelessness crisis.

BURIEN, Wash. - The Burien City Council was anticipated to offer potential solutions to address the issue of homelessness during their scheduled vote on transitional housing units on Monday evening. However, the vote has been postponed to the next meeting, prolonging answers for the dozens of individuals sleeping on city sidewalks.

Residents and business owners alike have expressed concerns over the escalating problem. On Monday, the council voted 4 to 3 to reduce the transitional housing capacity from 60 residents to 30, much to the frustration of advocates who argue that even 30 units fail to accommodate the current demand.

Hector Ramos, the owner of La Costa Mexican Restaurant, a longstanding establishment in downtown Burien, described the situation as a "horror show," citing open drug use, defecation, and violence plaguing the area.

"I feel like we've lost our way. I feel that we don't know what we're doing," Ramos said. "I don't know if this deliberate or why we really just can't come to the table and fix what we have on our streets."

Efforts to address the issue have been met with challenges. Despite measures taken by local businesses to deter unhoused individuals from settling in, such as placing rocks to discourage camping, the problem persists.

"We're fighting tooth and nail to make sure this place is safe. We have constant security here," Ramos explained.

Founder of Burien Homeless Support Coalition, Cydne Moore, emphasized the urgency of the situation, highlighting the dangers of living in such conditions.

"We're seeing what it looks like when people are left without shelter out here in real time and period," Moore said. "We have people dying on our streets."

FOX 13 captured the arrest of a teen for open-air drug use right outside City Hall on Monday afternoon.

Teri Westman was at the encampment visiting her 51-year-old son who is now seeking help, hoping to recover.

"Stop being political, get it together, and actually help these people because they're just trying to survive, and they need help," Westman said.

She firmly believes housing is the first step in getting folks off the streets. Westman is learning the harsh reality her son and many others are facing. So far in the last month, there have been four suspected overdose deaths, which underscore the severity of the crisis. Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling pointed out the correlation between the enforcement of camping regulations and the frequency of overdoses, sparking a legal dispute between the city and the King County Sheriff's Office over enforcement protocols.

"I'm standing up for my community," Schilling said. "I'm from the city of Burien. My family's from the city of Burien, born and raised, multigenerational, and you got to stand up for what you believe in. Right now, we have a county government that is bullying us and thinks they get to decide what cities do, and we're showing them that you can't do."

Schilling firmly believes local governments should have options in their ability to regulate the illegal use of public space.

Advocates like Moore are urging city leaders to utilize funds provided by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) to establish transitional housing options. However, bureaucratic hurdles, including zoning permit restrictions, pose additional challenges to implementing such solutions.

As the city deliberates its next steps, residents like Westman are urging them to make a decision before more lives are lost.

"Stop quibbling and come up with something. Get these people help as soon as possible," Westman said.

Business owners like Ramos say they're hurting badly. Revenue is down and the majority of them have experienced some sort of property damage or theft. He's simply trying to protect his ‘home’.

"I'm still being reactionary," Ramos said. "I'm reacting to the situation. I'm trying to figure out how to be proactive, whether it's through government or other means of deterrence. I don’t know."

Mayor Schilling reassured that the council remains committed to finding solutions that benefit the community as a whole.

Once the council votes on the zoning permits, KCRHA will move forward with the process of securing a service provider for the next steps, depending on what the council decides, which may take several months, further delaying assistance for those in need.

As the debate continues, the fate of Burien's unhoused population hangs in the balance, with stakeholders emphasizing the critical need for swift and decisive action to address the escalating crisis.

"It's heartbreaking when you know people need services and to get off the street, that our utmost desire," Schilling said.