Interfaith Clergy Hold "Service of Lamentation" at Lora Lake Apts
[Front paged: NM. Ed Note: The demolition was halted today, due to an action by Seattle Port Commissioner Bob Edwards. See comment by Cherisse Luxa, below. Corrections made and links added at request of author, 7/26/07. Sarajane's got great pictures of this event, but I can't get to them. In the meantime, here's one:
Who here thinks the Port of Seattle will reverse its decision to allow 162 units of urgently needed low-income housing across from SeaTac called Lora Lake Apartments to be torn down? Fifteen interfaith clergy, organized by the Church Council of Greater Seattle, held a Service of Lamentation at the Burien site Monday afternoon to call attention to the crying need for low-income housing in King County, where over 8,000 are homeless on any given night. Alec Fisken is the sole Port Commissioner standing up for housing people vs. using the site for a SeaTac shipping-related warehouse. Other Commissioners may be wavering, so emails to Bob Edwards (in a heated re-election race), Pat Davis (no longer claimed by progressives), Chair John Creighton and Lloyd Hara are in order. There is a Port Commission meeting at noon today, Tuesday. (For meeting info, go to the Port of Seattle home page.)
The Port Commissioners have been trying to blame this one on a re-zoning decision made seven years ago by the City of Burien, and affirmed recently, to change from multi-family housing to commercial. While they dream of retail development and a higher tax base, the Port dreams of more warehouse space. Burien Councilmember Jack Block, Jr., who is running for Bob Edward's seat on the Port Commission, is the only Burien Councilmember who voted against a zoning decision for that property in May which required the residents to vacate the apartments. This was after being stared down by labor and other progressives supporting his campaign. Councilmember Sally Nelson who was absent from that meeting due to a family emergency was later the only Councilmember to vote against rejecting King County's/King County Housing Authority's offer to buy Lora Lake. Jack Block abstained from that vote. (See links to meeting agendas and minutes, below.)
The Port Commission turned down an offer by King County Executive Ron Sims to buy the apartments at market rates. It would cost almost twice as much to build new, elsewhere, as Burien wishes. The Port needs to review its mission--moving people and goods, not economic development--and then accept the offer from King County to retain Lora Lake Apartments as affordable housing in a community that lost 3,000 apartment to condo conversion last year alone. Wake up, folks. We have a housing crisis here, and it's bad for business! Links
Interfaith Clergy Hold "Service of Lamentation" at Lora Lake Apts | 14 comments (14 topical)
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