Burien Church Sues City Over Housing

A church in the small town of Burien, Washington is suing the city over its right to let unhoused people camp on their property.

As Shawn Garrett reports for KIRO7, the church claims the city’s requirement that they obtain a temporary use permit violates their constitutional rights.

The church began providing shelter to roughly 100 people starting in November 2023, months after the city passed an ordinance criminalizing sleeping on nonresidential property at night. The church has refused to apply for the permit the city says is necessary. “The lawsuit also claims that the city’s ordinance conflicts with state law, prohibiting cities from limiting a religious organization’s ability to host an outdoor encampment to fewer than six months during any calendar year.”

In July, a church in a Colorado town filed a similar lawsuit after officials said the church property is not zoned for residential uses. Faith communities around the country are part of a growing ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement that calls on religious institutions to do their part in alleviating the housing crisis, particularly as lower attendance numbers mean more church properties are going unused.