King County and City of Seattle renew commitment to the Regional Homelessness Authority and enhance governance structure to further coordination and collaboration

Seattle - King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced a revised Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) that will streamline the governance structure at the agency to improve transparency, coordination, and oversight.

Approval of the proposed amended and restated ILA reaffirms the value of the KCRHA, furthers the commitment to a regional approach to addressing homelessness, and allows for continued support with an updated structure to respond to the needs of today.

"With new leadership, an updated structure, and enhanced county-wide coordination at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, we're continuing our work to confront the homelessness crisis and bring people inside," said Executive Constantine. "In that work, we are committed to partnering with people who have lived experience of homelessness, driving down the disproportionate impact of homelessness on communities of color, and ensuring that more people are connected with shelter and the services they need."

"To deliver ongoing solutions and tangible change addressing our regional homelessness crisis, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority needs a strong CEO, an effective governance structure, and meaningful regional collaboration. With an effective new leader at the helm and learning lessons from its early years in operation, updating the ILA is a critical opportunity to recalibrate how the KCRHA operates and bring more people suffering from homelessness indoors," said Mayor Harrell. "Our approach to this new board structure replicates best practices and means streamlined decision making and improved transparency, oversight, and accountability toward our shared goal of getting people off the street and connected with services to get well. Homelessness transcends the borders of any single city and we remain committed to uniting our region around solutions that drive sustainable progress through urgency, compassion, and collaboration."

"The Mayor and Executive's proposal addresses one of the major lessons learned from KCRHA's start-up era. I'm looking forward to partnering with the new, single governing board to create administrative excellence and equitably implement best practices informed by lived experience, said Dr. Kelly Kinnison, CEO of KCRHA. Together, I know we can significantly improve the rate at which we are housing our unsheltered neighbors."

New Phase

The revised ILA removes the original language around "start-up" functions, including development of a work plan, staffing structure, and organizational structure. As KCRHA is in its third year of operation, the organization has completed its five-year plan, has integrated data systems to monitor trends better, and has continued the Point-In-Time Count as directed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Governance

The new ILA will reorganize the board structure of KCRHA and create a single Governing Board responsible for setting strategic policy direction, providing fiscal oversight, monitoring performance metrics, and ensuring the authority is making progress to fulfill its mission. The Governing Board will be comprised of 12 total members, including:

• The King County Executive
• The Seattle Mayor
• Two members of the King County Council, one representing a district in Seattle and one representing a district outside of Seattle
• Two members of the Seattle City Council
• Three elected officials from the Sound Cities Association
• Three members representing individuals with lived experience each individually appointed by the City of Seattle, King County, and Sound Cities Association.

Services

The KCRHA will focus primarily on procuring and contracting homelessness services and administering contracts with regional service providers. In addition, KCRHA will lead emergency response systems for severe weather, including contracting with shelters, and serve as the lead of the Continuum of Care and coordinated entry system. In addition, KCRHA will implement Sub-Regional Planning activities in partnership with jurisdictions across King County and each sub-region.

The current Implementation Board is anticipated to complete its scheduled meetings through 2024 before sunsetting. The Executive and Mayor thank the Implementation Board members for their dedication and work supporting the operations of the Authority in its first five years of start-up.

The Continuum of Care Board will continue to carry out mandatory functions required by HUD and may opt to serve in an advisory capacity to the Governing Board.

The King County Council and Seattle City Council are expected to consider and vote on the legislation in September. The Sound Cities Association is also expected to vote on the changes to the agreement.

What People Are Saying:

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci

"Homelessness remains a regional problem that requires regional solutions. It's clear we need to up our game in addressing the homelessness crisis, and, taken together with the hiring of a new CEO, this new agreement will streamline the authority so it can be more efficient at providing essential services and generating solutions to get people on a path out of homelessness and into safe, stable housing."

King County Councilmember Jorge Barón

"I support this needed step toward a more streamlined, efficient, and accountable structure for the KCRHA. We must recognize, however, that much more is needed to adequately resource our homelessness response system and meet the full scope of needs in our community. I look forward to continued work to meet these goals."

Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson

"As elected officials, we have a responsibility to make every effort to set the KCRHA up for success. This streamlined governance structure, which allows for greater transparency and accountability when it comes to the use of public resources, will help the authority better deliver on the region's shared vision of reducing homelessness and improving lives."

Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore

"Revising the ILA is an opportunity for a sorely needed reset of the KCRHA to create accountability and achieve measurable results for our unsheltered neighbors. I look forward to laying a more effective framework for KCRHA to succeed."

Gordon McHenry, Jr., KCRHA Implementation Board Member and CEO, United Way of King County

"The King County Regional Homelessness Authority is taking on some of the most challenging work in our region. Serving on the Implementation Board since it started, and witnessing the organization evolve from its early days to this current iteration, has been an incredible experience. I am excited about the streamlined and focused board structure this new ILA provides as the Authority moves into its next phase and I know KCRHA will continue to develop into an even more effective body with Dr. Kinnison at the helm. I will continue to support their work wholeheartedly in collaboration with local leaders and community partners."

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