The Burien City Council held a special meeting on the topic of establishing a temporary emergency housing village using an offer of $1 million and 35 Pallet shelters from King County; They voted to site the village on a property owned by Seattle City Light at S. 136th St. and 4th Ave S. and on a code of conduct that prohibits illegal drug, alcohol use, and possession of firearms on site or in the surrounding neighborhood. Registered sex offenders will not be permitted in the site.
The City Council directed the City Manager to notify the King County Executive’s Office and King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) of the vote that same night, in advance of the deadline to accept the King County’s offer of $1 million and 35 Pallet shelters. City staff will work with KCRHA on a request for proposals to find an organization to operate the village. City of Burien staff were directed to begin neighborhood outreach.
The village will be in operation for up to one year with 90% of the residents being identified as “homeless in Burien”. The City Council directed staff to follow a similar process that the DESC Burien site will follow to identify people for housing. This includes a coordinated approach between several contracted service providers who conduct regular outreach and service provision in Burien.
Staffing of the village will include security and a community liaison. The community liaison will be a City staff person who could act as a primary point of contact for ongoing community engagement with the community, help coordinate listening sessions, coordinate a potential community advisory committee, and help act as a liaison with other relevant City departments, among other duties.
The Community Development Department and Planning Commission will consider changes to zoning codes that are required to allow the village to operate.