Why is an animal shelter clearing an encampment in Burien?

About 2 dozen people have been forced to pack up and leave a homeless encampment in downtown Burien. But they weren’t swept by the city or the county. Instead, Burien leased the land to a private group who forced the residents off.

They were not offered shelter.

The controversial decision followed weeks of escalating tension over the camp.

KUOW’s Casey Martin has been following the story and is here to tell us what went down… and what it means for the regional approach to the homelessness crisis.

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