Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-1.34.06-PM
Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
Blog

Controversial Church Encampment Closes Down

View at Twitter
Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

Epic Failure

On Monday, dozens of homeless men and women will be ejected from the temporary encampment behind Oasis Home Church in Burien. The 90 days are up. It’s unclear where they will go. Likely back to city parks or the downtown core.

This evening, some of them spoke to me and said they felt used by former councilmember Cydney Moore and regret following her lead. Moore is in charge of Burien Community Support Coalition, a non-profit that’s been running daily operations at the controversial encampment. She allegedly promised them housing and jobs. But so far, none of that has materialized. Some of the campers also say Moore was blinded by power and control, refusing to collaborate with other successful homeless outreach groups like “The More We Love.”

It’s now becoming more evident than ever, the homeless have been used as political pawns. Moore is apparently trying to bring some of them to Burien City Hall Monday evening to protest during the council meeting. She continues to blame the city for lack of services and shelter. But the reality is, Moore’s alternative model has failed and she is now desperately trying to save face. WATCH as I try to get her side of the story.

Series of Problems

Court documents show Oasis Home Church recently housed a Burien murder suspect.

Drugs Spilling onto the Streets

Pastor Mark Miller lowered entry standards to the camp and allowed drug addicts and people with warrants to stay. Neighbors accused the pastor of a bait and switch.

Church in Violation

Oasis also accused of non-compliance and operating it’s backyard homeless encampment without a permit.

Furious Pushback

Neighbors did not want this camp. Back in November 2023, a public meeting devolved into arguments and accusations of bias. Critics also accused CM Moore of trying to divert funding from King County into her homeless non-profit.

Unholy Alliance

Some Burien neighbors were incensed after learning last minute about the “temporary sanctioned encampment” coming into their community back in November. They accused organizers of trying to quietly ram it through.

Holding them Accountable

Most of the city council didn’t even know this was going to happen behind the church. There were also concerns about a conflict of interest for Moore since she was a Burien Councilmember at the time.

Preparing for the Worst

Listen to what some neighbors near Oasis Home Church are doing to prep for the homeless moving into the “sanctioned encampment” across the street.

Protesting the Law

Late last year, FAR-LEFT activists led by Moore occupied part of the sidewalk outside City Hall. They protested the city’s new public camping ban that went into play on November 1. They wanted this law repealed.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.