Around 9 AM on Thursday morning, July 19, police kicked in the door to one of the two units at Burien's Lora Lake Apartments that SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort) members had broken into and occupied since four o'clock that morning. Fourteen vehicles carrying scores of police showed up from the King County Sheriff, Burien Police Department, and the Port of Seattle. Officers used a variety of techniques to persuade us to leave the building, ranging from trickery to a furious threat yelled up to the balcony where we'd gathered: "We're going to bring in the fucking SWAT team!" We replied that we were peaceful and unarmed, would not leave voluntarily, and were there in hope of saving the apartments. Following another threat to use pepper spray, nine of us were arrested and taken to the Regional Justice Center in Kent after being held for several hours in Burien. We're accused of criminal trespass and obstructing a public servant. The Port of Seattle bought the property in 1998, in preparation for the construction of the third runway at SeaTac airport. Since then, the King County Housing Authority has held a lease on the 234-unit complex, and rented them to tenants at affordable rates. Only 72 of the apartments fall within the buffer zone of the new runway, leaving 162 units of scarce affordable housing that could have been retained. Last Wednesday, King County's $18 million offer to buy the property was rejected by the Port of Seattle. The Port hopes to build a cargo warehouse on the property. The City of Burien is thinking of a big box retail store, with its lucrative tax base. Those who have spoken out in favor of saving the apartments for affordable housing include King County Executive Ron Sims, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Governor Christine Gregiore, Church Council of Greater Seattle director Sandy Brown, Bill Kirlin-Hackett of the Interfaith Task Force to End Homelessness, and the director of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County, Bill Block. Editorials have appeared in the P-I and the Seattle Times encouraging the Port to save Lora Lake. Nevertheless, the Port of Seattle and the City of Burien appear intent on destroying the apartments, which looked in excellent shape to me and my homeless companions. Sleeping in a safe apartment near a noisy runway trumps sleeping in a tent, a shelter, or worse yet, outside under an equally noisy but chilly dangerous freeway any night of the week. Demolishing the Lora Lake Apartments is neither humane nor fiscally responsible. There are an estimated 8,000 people who are homeless each night in King County. Replacing the apartments would cost an estimated $30 million. If the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County, already in its second year, is going to succeed, then entities like the Port of Seattle and the City of Burien need to change their priorities now. Meanwhile, the Church Council has organized a "Service of Lamentation" outside the Lora Lake Apartments this Monday afternoon, July 23, and Women in Black will stand in a silent one-hour vigil beginning at noon on Wednesday, July 25 outside the Justice Center in Seattle, for the twenty-third homeless person to die outside or through violence in King County in 2007. The struggle continues. --Peggy Hotes. For more information on SHARE/WHEEL organizing, call 206-448-7889.