Burien, Washington, Church Proposes Tent Encampment as City Camping Ban Takes Effect

Oasis Home Church in Burien has proposed opening its parking lot as a place where people experiencing homelessness could temporarily live in tents. Under a new city ordinance, the site would be the only spot in Burien where people could do that legally. Burien’s city manager, however, has said the church does not yet have the required paperwork to open the camp.

The Burien City Council had debated for months whether to open a shelter or a sanctioned site for tents. A city ordinance took effect on Wednesday under which people caught sleeping or resting on public property could be charged with a misdemeanor. A photo caption accompanying the story notes that a homeless encampment was forced off public property in Burien in May 2023.

To help the city’s growing population of unhoused people, a nonprofit group has teamed up with Oasis Home Church. The church says it will open its parking lot for three months, with room for up to 30 tents. The encampment site, called Sunnydale Village, would have 24/7 security and would enforce rules against drug use and littering. Cydney Moore, president of the Burien Community Support Coalition and an incumbent Burien City Council candidate, said the effort would not reach everyone in need. “We know we’re not going to be able to help everyone here in Burien, we just don’t have the capacity, the size, or space for it,” Moore said. Offering space to neighbors without shelter is a form of hospitality (Matthew 25:35).

Moore and the church had hoped to open the village on Nov. 6, five days after the city’s new camping ban began. On Monday, Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon emailed the church’s pastor to say the project would first require a temporary use permit. According to the email, any work to establish the village “could place the church in violation of state law and city ordinances.” Bailon cited a Washington state law that requires religious organizations to hold a public meeting on any proposed tent site and to inform the city’s legislative body “no later than 96 hours” before that meeting. In his email, Bailon wrote, “I am sorry to share with you that the City of Burien and its legislative authority has not received any notice of your intent to pursue a project at Oasis Church.”

Moore said the Burien Community Support Coalition had informed the Council about a meeting and had consulted other churches and pastors that have opened similar tent sites. “Every person that we’re talking to has confirmed we don’t need a temporary use permit,” Moore said. She added, “We hope it was an honest mistake on their part and once we get it all cleared up, we can move forward with being a collaborative partner with the city.”

Source: Read the original report