(The Center Square) – With millions of taxpayer dollars intended to address homelessness unaccounted for by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, the King County Council voted unanimously Tuesday on legislation to address the current status and future of the organization.
Depending on the results of an upcoming report and recommendation, the county authority that oversees the disbursement of government funding to providers could ultimately be dissolved.
The move comes after a recent audit found the agency tasked with addressing homelessness countywide, had a $44.7 million deficit and was unable to account for some $13 million in taxpayer funds.
As reported by The Center Square, the audit put CEO Kelly Kinnison in the spotlight, showing that she distanced herself from the review as major oversight problems were discovered and millions of dollars in funds were unable to be accounted for.
Kinnison didn’t show up for most of the twice-weekly KCRHA board meetings held concurrently with the audit period, according to a fraud investigator.
While the auditor did not find evidence of outright fraud, they could not determine whether the missing funds were used to provide services to the homeless.
The measure introduced last week and approved Tuesday by the King County Council requires a comprehensive report by Aug. 1, which will include a recommendation whether to “continue, amend or terminate” participation with the regional authority.
The council also requested a plan briefing be provided by June 15 that addresses funding needs and an assessment of the corrective action plan submitted during the audit, among other provisions.
The KCRHA was formed through an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) signed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan in December 2019, with the goal being to consolidate the region’s response to the homelessness crisis.
KCRHA history
Since its inception, KCRHA has received nearly $534 million, even as numbers of homeless individuals across the county have increased.
KCHRA’s budget was proposed as $205 million in 2026 with about 60% coming from Seattle and the rest from King County.
Critics point to lax controls and accounting within the agency and an unwillingness to require those receiving housing and services to enter treatment to end the cycle, which in most cases involves substance abuse and/or mental health issues.
Councilmember Stephanie Fain introduced the legislation prompting Tuesday’s vote based on the recent audit findings, but told The Center Square she’s been aware of major concerns with KCRHA for years.
“We want to kind of take a measured approach and make sure that we’re getting all of the information we need to decide whether or not KCRHA should continue, if it should continue in the same format, or simply be shut down. The findings of the audit were incredibly serious and alarming,” said Fain.
The councilmember said taxpayers deserve accountability with an agency responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars, but she expressed concern with simply dissolving the agency.
“I completely understand the frustration,” Fain said. “I just want to make sure that we’re doing it in a way that ensures we are not losing any federal funding, and that we are able to create a system that’s better than the one we have.
“I think I would like to encourage my colleagues and our community to really allow the time needed to build a better way,” she said.
Other councilmembers have sponsored similar resolutions to dismantle the agency but pressing for a transition plan and an unwinding that would take place over the course of a year.
A representative from the King County Alliance for Human Services spoke in favor of the legislation Tuesday, but urged members not to discontinue current funding for services.
“The Alliance strongly supports the appropriate and intended use of county funding and taxpayer dollars…. homelessness services should not be interrupted as financial concerns of KCRHA are navigated and addressed,” said the KCAHA representative.
King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski urged fellow members to adopt his amendment to require monthly reporting from KCRHA upon the underlying legislation being passed.
“Their cash balance as of April 16 was negative $38,215,518. That’s gone on for quite a while. They’ve dug a hole and we are going to use our county investment pool to cover the debt. This is really very serious and I’m concerned.”
Members of the Seattle City Council have also been calling for the issues at KCRHA to be addressed since the recent audit findings.
Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), who serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee posted:
“The results of the recent King County Regional Homelessness Authority audit are damning. It shows an epic, and consistent, failure of leadership at the top of the agency – especially at its start. It also reveals the failure of leadership of the county and city. The audit reveals troubling systemic issues that can no longer be ignored if we are to address the homelessness and public safety crisis in Seattle effectively.”
Meanwhile, non-profit groups like We Heart Seattle have been pleading with city and county officials to address the homelessness crisis as a drug epidemic that can not be solved without requiring people to get clean and sober in exchange for housing and other services.
As reported by The Center Square, We Heart Seattle Founder Andrea Suarez was featured in a March 26 video on X showing a taxpayer-funded tiny house in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood being used as a safe house for drug use.
“And in the name of keeping people alive, never using alone, we’re making sure people don’t overdose and die inside their houses,” said Suarez in an interview with The Center Square. “And it’s just really defeating and morally wrong in my opinion.”
NGOs supported by the agency will continue to be funded as Seattle and King County officials continue to discuss the regional homeless authority’s future.
