The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness (Coalition on Homelessness) –along with three unhoused individuals residing in Burien – filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 challenging Burien’s Ordinance 827 as “unconstitutional.“Ordinance 827 was passed by the Burien City Council on Oct. 2, 2023, and regulates the ability of individuals to camp overnight on public property. This provision, however, fails to acknowledge the almost complete lack of shelter in Burien and King County as a whole. “It shouldn’t be a crime to be human and homeless,” said Alison Eisinger, Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness. We want to repeal this unjust law that effectively bans homeless individuals from living in Burien. The city’s actions disrupt the lives of homeless individuals and deny them their right to privacy and freedom of movement.

Source: New York Times January 03, 2024 23:26 UTC