Letter to the editor:
Burien Council Members,
There’s a proposed development of a 4.75 acre 165-unit homeless encampment bordering Kennedy Catholic High School. Apparently the lot is owned by Seattle City Light on 136th (KC-Parcel No. (APN) 172304-9264. Our 16 year old daughter attends this school, and we are extremely troubled about this possibility. The site is also adjacent to a single family residential neighborhood, and is not in their best interests of safety or peace either.
It is important to provide assistance for the homeless in our community, however we think that it is unwise and unsafe to build a homeless encampment next to a High School. The model being used is Housing First, which does not require the homeless to comply with treatment or stop drug and alcohol use before receiving shelter. As has happened before, this type of arrangement will cause Seattle’s street campers to flock into Burien in much larger numbers than we have the resources to handle. It will also result in more crime. Crime has already increased exponentially in Burien. Even our local Safeway is not safe to shop at anymore. This approach greatly concerns us and we hope you will reconsider building this Tiny Homes Village next to a High School.
Thank you for considering our concerns and we would appreciate a response.
Peter and Wendy Butzerin
