BURIEN, Wash. — The closure of Sunnydale Village dismayed but did not deter Cydney Moore.
She's the president of the Burien Community Support Coalition, which ran the sanctioned encampment at Oasis Home Church. It was funded through community support. The lease expired after 90 days; no other location could be lined up. According to Moore, the closure left 65 people, five dogs and one cat, with no place to call home.
Tuesday night, Moore was one of several volunteers providing tents and food to the unhoused.
"We as an organization and members of our community are trying to do the best we can. Offering somebody some kind of cover to stay dry at night, maybe stay warm or help them stay warm. Provide them a little bit of privacy while they sleep, maybe a thin layer of protection from the harassment they face every day from people who are very hateful toward them," Moore said.
Finding housing for people in Burien is especially hard, according to Moore. She said she spent three months trying to line up housing and shelters; she faced many roadblocks.
Moore's biggest complaint was that she or other volunteers would often find beds, but they'd be taken before they could get the person to the shelter.
"People down here in Burien have it tough," Moore said.
Knowing housing wasn't available, she helped several unhoused folks set up tents near the intersection of SW 152nd St. and 5th Ave SW. As a former city council member, Moore is keenly aware what she's facilitating does not violate the camping ban ordinance.
"When we know that the camping ban can be forced if shelter is available and yet it's not being enforced, it's evidence that there is not shelter available," Moore said. "I want our city leaders to know they have the responsibility, duty and obligation to serve their community."
Burien's new mayor, Kevin Schilling, said they're doing all that by being proactive.
"The continuous goal is to connect people to shelter and services," he said. "That offering of shelter and services with the camping ordinance combined is why we don't see tents here today even though the Oasis Encampments closed down."
Mayor Schilling said service providers and Burien Police came through Tuesday morning to remind the unhoused they could not keep tents up during the day.
"We're partnering with the regional service providers to get as much as we can here for folks experiencing homelessness, drug addiction or mental health issues. The proactiveness is what I think people don't see often from government. I want people to know government is responding," Mayor Schilling said.
In November, Burien approved a plan to build pallet shelters. King County gave the city $1 million for the project. A timeline on when it will be built is up in the air, pending zoning regulations and community input. Schilling estimated it could come to fruition within the next two to three months but that isn't a guarantee.