Seattle's King County and the City of Kirkland are being sued by a community group, Keep Kids Safe, after the county purchased a hotel with the intent to convert it into permanent public housing. The lawsuit was filed in late March in Snohomish County.

The hotel at the center of the lawsuit is the 121-room La Quinta Inn & Suites. At the heart of the lawsuit are claims that the city and county failed to include the public as officials planned out the permanent housing project which would serve the area's homeless population. The project is under the works of the King County Health Through Housing program.

The organization contends that the permanent housing site could potentially pose risks to the children in the community as the building shares a property line with the local private school, Eastside Preparatory School. The school serves students in fifth through twelfth grade. In addition to sharing a property line, the hotel is also in close proximity to other schools and childcare facilities.

According to the Department of Community and Human Services, the local La Quinta Inn & Suites was purchased by King County for a little over $28 million. King County shares that the purchase was funded by a 0.1-cent state tax program that was established for purchasing housing and lodging.

According to the community group, the purchase was completed with an insufficient public process. Community members allege that they were not a part of the decision-making process and that city and county officials “met in secret” to scout a location for the proposed permanent housing location.

The community group details that the manner in which officials met was in direct violation of the state’s Open Public Meeting Act. Under the Act, meetings between governing bodies are required to be open to the public, something Keep Kids Safe argued officials failed to do.

Mark Lamb, the attorney representing Keep Kids Safe, emphasized the importance of public officials providing “due process and transparency.” Lamb explains, “Due process isn’t when you say ‘we have made the decision’ but listen to commentary afterward. It’s a short-circuiting of state law and a short-circuiting of their own ordinances and processes.”

Kirkland council member Toby Nixon also shared his concerns about the purchase. “I continue to be deeply disturbed by the process King County has followed on this project. I have been opposed from the start to the secrecy surrounding it. Good things, things we are proud of, do not require secrecy,” Nixon shared with a local outlet, the Kirkland Reporter.

City and county officials contend that they followed all laws as they sought out a prospective site and defended the purchase of their prospective permanent housing location. The city shared in a statement, “Chronic homelessness is a societal problem that includes Kirkland. We are confident our community can help respond to this urgent problem while also protecting the public health, safety, and welfare, particularly with respect to our children attending nearby schools.”

The director of the county’s Department of Community and Human Services also defended the decision saying that city and county officials did not hold a public meeting until the seller and the county reached an agreed-upon price in an effort to avoid overpaying.