By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay recently signed a new executive order aimed at tackling the region’s intertwined crises of homelessness, substance use, and incarceration by expanding housing and improving coordination across public systems, with a goal of creating 500 housing units in 500 days.
The order establishes the county’s “Breaking the Cycle Initiative,” a comprehensive effort designed to increase access to affordable housing and shelter, strengthen behavioral health services, and better align housing, health, and criminal legal systems to address the root causes of instability.
“The order is about keeping all our communities safe, housed, and healthy, and beginning with the specific communities that are most vulnerable, most impacted by the issues of homelessness, addiction, mental health issues, violence, trauma, and incarceration,” said Zahilay. “I know those are all really big topics, and they’re all distinct, but they’re also really intertwined, and some people who are experiencing multiple of those issues, if not all of them all at once, the people who are most impacted are living outside, suffering from substance use disorders, committing crime or being a victim of crime, ending up in our King County jail. And then because they don’t have the ongoing support they need, they’ll cycle in and out of those systems over and over again, and this executive order acknowledges that these are really complex problems and they require a lot more than we have now, and there’s no simple answer, but we can move in a better direction.”
The initiative comes as homelessness in King County continues to rise. Data from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority shows that the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night increased from 11,751 in 2020 to 16,868 in 2024, reflecting growing pressure on housing and service systems.
Unsheltered homelessness has also increased significantly, with nearly 10,000 people living on the streets, in tents, or in vehicles. Chronic homelessness has surged in recent years, and racial disparities persist, with Black residents disproportionately represented among those experiencing homelessness.
Officials note that point-in-time counts represent only a snapshot. State estimates suggest that nearly 54,000 people experienced homelessness in King County over the course of a year, highlighting the scale and ongoing nature of the crisis.
Zahilay said the executive order represents a “concrete step” toward addressing those challenges.
“We need to end the cycle of crisis that sends vulnerable neighbors repeatedly through emergency rooms, jails, shelters, and back onto the streets without finding stability or recovery,” said Zahilay. “This Executive Order will take concrete steps to align partners, actions, and funding across the continuum to help more people rebuild their lives and create healthier, safer communities across King County.”
Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who represents King County Council District 8, said stable housing is essential to improving health and long-term outcomes.
“You can’t have stability, health, or healing without the basic necessity of a place to call home,” said Mosqueda. “Too many across our county are facing just that reality. The Executive Order sets up King County and our partners to act, collaborate, and identify tools at our disposal to create the housing and shelter our communities need. Breaking cycles means building the supports and structures that lead to lasting stability. I commend Executive Zahilay for his leadership and vision to initiate this process.”
The executive order outlines several steps to expand housing and improve coordination across systems. County leaders plan to develop 500 new units of emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, and affordable housing within 500 days, while also identifying underutilized county-owned properties that could be repurposed for shelter and housing.
The plan also calls for better coordination across housing, health, and crisis response systems by integrating data and performance metrics to identify gaps in services and direct resources more effectively. A new “Breaking the Cycle” workgroup, made up of leaders from housing, health, the criminal legal system, and community-based organizations, will recommend evidence-based policy and funding solutions.
In addition, the county will explore new, dedicated revenue sources to support the development, preservation, and long-term operation of affordable housing, working with partners across labor, philanthropy, the private sector, and government.
As King County moves forward with implementation, community leaders say coordination across systems will be key to making lasting progress.
Dominique Alex, CEO of Mary’s Place, said the initiative reflects a broader understanding that stable housing and aligned services are essential to helping people move beyond crisis.
“Homelessness is not inevitable, and neither is the cycle that can trap people in crisis. When housing, health, and human services work together, people don’t just survive. They stabilize,” says Alex. “They recover. They thrive. I was honored to serve on Executive Zahilay’s transition team and to see those discussions become action. This Executive Order builds the connective tissue our region needs, and when all of us, government, providers, and community, stay connected and committed, this is solvable.”
