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Burien council receives state-law briefing on religious hosting of people experiencing homelessness; motion to fast-track local ordinance fails
Summary
Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore called the Burien City Council into special session on May 12 for a staff briefing on House Bill 1754 (codified at RCW 35A.21.360) and to consider whether to revive Ordinance 861 with edits to how the city regulates religious-hosted temporary housing. A motion to untable the ordinance and place the edited measure on next week's consent agenda failed on a tie vote.
Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore opened a May 12 special meeting of the Burien City Council with a staff presentation explaining state rules for religious organizations that want to host people experiencing homelessness under House Bill 1754, codified in RCW 35A.21.360. Liz Ann Chaney, presenter, and a city staff member summarized the four hosting types the law requires cities to allow on religious-owned or controlled property and the limited areas local government may regulate.
The presentation laid out what the statute requires and what Burien can still control: the state law allows outdoor encampments, indoor overnight shelters, temporary small houses, and safe vehicle parking on religious property; it also limits local regulation to matters tied to public health and safety (for example, sanitation, restroom access, lighting, fences and setbacks). "We are very limited in what we can regulate, but we can regulate issues related to public health and safety,…
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