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Tensions have again flared in Burien over homelessness and an ongoing plan to sweep an encampment in the city, with conflicting claims from Burien’s city manager and county officials.

The claims center around an encampment on 6th Avenue Southwest in Burien, where the (KCRHA) has posted notices that the camp will be cleared and that officials have created a list of residents selected for housing. The notice did not list a specific date for the sweep.

Burien city manager criticizes King County’s plan to sweep camp

On Wednesday, Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon sent 成人X站 Newsradio a letter, criticizing the county鈥檚 鈥渦nilateral鈥� plan to sweep the camp, saying, 鈥淒espite claims of collaboration in the closure notice, Burien was neither informed nor involved in the encampment closure decision-making process.鈥�

Bailon, who has over the past year supported progressively more restrictive anti-camping ordinances in Burien, wrote that the city has not been given answers to 鈥渟erious questions,鈥� including: a timeline for the camp鈥檚 closure, which organizations and service providers with the county are working in outreach in the camp, the 鈥渇air treatment鈥� of homeless people in the camp, how the county deemed which people in the camp were eligible for shelter, whether said shelter is temporary or permanent, what will happen to those not on the county鈥檚 list for shelter and more.

A homelessness outreach worker familiar with the plans told 成人X站 Newsradio that county officials and other outreach workers have already moved an unknown number of people from the camp into housing, but that more people have arrived since a county shortlist for those needing housing was closed.

Bailon also claimed the county unilaterally 鈥減ermitted or hosted the camp.鈥�

King County Executive’s office addresses letter

Amy Enbysk, press secretary for King County Executive Dow Constantine, addressed Bailon鈥檚 letter in an email, claiming the county did not establish the camp, and largely dismissed the perception the city was left in the dark about it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to note that before the start of this outreach work by KCHRA, the Burien Police Department鈥檚 Crime Reduction Unit, and Co-Responding Mental Health Professionals spent time in and around the encampment location working on both addressing criminal behaviors and connecting those living there to resources, so they have had regular engagement at this site which did not seem to be an issue with the City of Burien at the time,鈥� Enbysk wrote.

Enbysk added the county has continually arranged weekly trash pickups, delivery of port-a-potties and sanitary stations and sent nurses to address the homeless population鈥檚 medical needs.

The competing claims from Burien city leadership and King County officials underscore a shaky political relationship between the two, characterized by repeated disagreements over the past year about solutions to the city鈥檚 homelessness issue.

Past conflict between Burien City Council members

In 2023, Burien City Council members sparred for months about how to use a county-provided pallet shelter and $1 million in homelessness aid before the offer for help expired and the county redirected funds. Enbysk highlighted the ordeal in her email to 成人X站 Newsradio, writing 鈥淭hese resources remained unused for over a year and have since been redirected to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to assist in resolving this encampment and help move people into shelter or permanent supportive housing, which is underway and has been for several months.鈥�

Political clashes over homelessness festered again recently when a controversial lawsuit over an anti-camping ordinance in Burien was dismissed without clear direction on how it could be enforced. It was brought by King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, who asked a U.S. District Court to determine whether deputies could lawfully enforce Burien鈥檚 latest anti-camping ordinance, which she feared was unconstitutional. In return, the City of Burien accused the county 鈥� which provides the city with police services 鈥� of violating its law enforcement agreement and has filed a lawsuit in Snohomish County Superior Court, alleging the county has breached its contract.

Bailon鈥檚 letter suggested lingering tensions over the city鈥檚 reliance on the county for policing, pointing to a mention of the 鈥淏urien Police Department鈥� on notices posted by KCRHA to the camp.

“It is disheartening to see King County disregard Burien鈥檚 authority and need to protect its community while King County presents a fa莽ade of collaboration,” he wrote. “Since King County controls the sheriff鈥檚 deputies assigned to Burien, references to clearing or sweeping King County鈥檚 property should refer to the King County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, not the ‘Burien Police Department.'”

Outreach workers at the camp from multiple organizations told 成人X站 Newsradio they fear the mission of helping homeless people 鈥� the most vulnerable in the community 鈥� is getting lost in the political drama.

Concerns rise over people not on housing list

A separate Burien city official told 成人X站 Newsradio on background that the city is concerned about what will happen to the people not on the housing list because, with nowhere else to go, they do not want them shuffled back onto city property where the sheriff鈥檚 office has continued to refuse to enforce the latest anti-camping ordinance.

Homeless people in Burien have previously described to 成人X站 Newsradio feeling like political pawns, stuck in the middle of a never-ending philosophical debate.

Cydney Moore, who runs the Burien Community Support Coalition and previously drew criticism from city leadership over organizing a tent village behind a church, said she is happy the county appears to be diverting many resources to the camp.

But when asked about Bailon鈥檚 letter, she said his complaint was made in bad faith.

“Everywhere somebody tries to offer solutions, the city actively tries to block that while maintaining this aggressive tactic of chasing people around and passing more and more aggressive policies that basically either result in people being cycled in and out of jail or just shuffled from place to place, which solves nothing and helps no one,” she said.

Burien City Council member: Bailon’s letter is ‘faux compassion’

Moore, a former Burien City Council member who consistently pushed against restrictive anti-camping laws while in office, said Bailon鈥榮 letter expressed 鈥渇aux compassion鈥� for the people at the camp.

鈥淭he city manager purporting to have concerns about the rights of the unhoused here in Burien is almost laughable given that the city manager has been largely spearheading an effort to, arguably, violate many of these unhoused folks鈥� rights,鈥� she said, referencing Burien鈥檚 Ordinance 832, which prohibits daytime camping on public property and introduces so-called 鈥渂uffer zones鈥� excluding much of the city鈥檚 property for camping.

However, through the discourse, other outreach providers not directly involved in KCRHA鈥檚 plan said they made headway in helping one of the camp鈥檚 residents.

While at the camp Wednesday, Kristine Moreland with The More We Love said a young woman agreed to take her offer to transport her to a detox program outside Seattle. Neither she nor the program were identified for privacy reasons.

Read Bailon’s letter in full and Enbysk’s response from the King County County Executive’s Office .

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at 成人X站 Newsradio. You can read more of Sam鈥檚 stories聽here. Follow Sam on聽, or聽email him here.