by Erica C. Barnett
(This article was previously published at PubliCola and has been reprinted with permission.)
The Burien City Council voted narrowly last week to delay a Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) development that would provide 95 units of permanent supportive housing, including at least 25 units for disabled veterans.
The proposal is part of Burien’s 2019 Affordable Housing Demonstration Program, which grants zoning variances to projects that serve people at various income levels; DESC applied to build housing for people between 0% and 30% of area median income, the lowest income level included in the pilot.
The Burien Planning Commission approved the project unanimously in April, but councilmembers raised objections after some residents complained that the project would harm downtown businesses and bring homeless people from other areas (like Seattle) into Burien.
Continue reading Burien City Council Votes to Delay Homeless Housing Proposal