Fight over Burien homeless camp to be addressed at special meeting

BURIEN, Wash. — The Burien City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday night to try to deal with a growing homeless crisis.

The issue has caused frustration for several months.

King County says deputies can’t — and won’t — help the city move homeless people from an encampment there.

A camp had been outside the City Hall and library, but when occupants were forced to move, some moved to a space a block away on the corner of Southwest 152nd and Sixth Avenue Southwest.

A dog park was planned for the space and the city wants the area swept, but King County’s general counsel warned city officials that county deputies can’t or won’t be able to help in a sweep.

The county’s stance is that the Burien is not meeting its legal obligations because it has not identified housing alternatives for people living on the street or in the camp.

“It’s hard, because the more it grows, the harder it is for them to find housing or places,” said Sarah Tedrick, who works in Burien.

Tuesday’s meeting at City Hall could include a discussion about whether members of the public are allowed to seize a public location, if the city has to provide housing, and if the city should move forward with plans for a dog park.

The bottom line is that King County deputies cannot do the sweep, while Burien officials say the county is acting as if it’s the city’s Burien’s fault that there’s a homeless camp.

The special meeting will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Burien City Hall.

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