Seattle and King County officials say the sweeping restructuring of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) is intended to improve financial oversight without disrupting the homelessness services thousands of people rely on every day.
Under the plan announced Wednesday, responsibility for administering most homelessness service contracts will gradually transition from KCRHA back to the Seattle Human Services Department and King County’s Department of Community and Human Services beginning in January 2027. Officials say the changes are designed to strengthen accountability while maintaining continuity of services for people experiencing homelessness.
“We’re taking decisive action to address KCRHA’s challenges while maintaining the continuity of the critical services they administer,” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said. “The steps we’re taking today will let the agency focus on rebuilding public trust, making a strong application for federal funding, and helping our city and region deliver better outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.”
For people receiving shelter, outreach, behavioral health or housing services, city and county leaders say there should be little immediate change. Existing programs will continue to operate while the transition takes place, and officials say they are committed to ensuring nonprofit providers continue receiving funding without interruption.
Seattle Human Services Department Director Tanya Kim said maintaining stability for service providers will be one of the City’s top priorities throughout the transition.
“Seattle’s homelessness service providers are essential partners in helping people move toward safety, stability, and housing,” Kim said. “As contract administration transitions back to the Human Services Department, our focus will be on maintaining service continuity, and supporting timely and clear communication with providers.”
The transition follows an independent forensic evaluation that identified significant weaknesses in KCRHA’s financial management and oversight. While the evaluation found no evidence of widespread fraud, it concluded the agency needed stronger financial controls and recommended significant operational improvements.
Rather than dissolving KCRHA, Seattle and King County leaders chose to redefine its role.
Instead of managing most city- and county-funded homelessness service contracts, KCRHA will focus on regional coordination. The agency will remain King County’s designated Continuum of Care lead organization, coordinating applications for federal Department of Housing and Urban Development funding, overseeing the Coordinated Entry System, maintaining the region’s Homelessness Management Information System, conducting the annual Point-in-Time Count and coordinating severe weather responses.
Officials say preserving those responsibilities is critical because KCRHA serves as the region’s primary coordinator for federal homelessness funding and regional planning efforts.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said the changes are intended to strengthen the regional model, not abandon it.
“KCRHA was created because homelessness is a regional challenge, and I continue to believe a regional response is the right approach,” Zahilay said. “But believing in a regional response also means making sure it works.”
City and county officials outlined a phased transition designed to avoid disrupting services.
Beginning immediately, an independent financial monitoring firm will work alongside KCRHA leadership to strengthen accounting practices, improve financial oversight and help ensure providers receive timely payments.
By Aug. 1, Seattle and King County expect to submit detailed transition plans outlining how homelessness service contracts will move back to their respective human services departments.
Beginning in January 2027, administration of most homelessness service contracts will gradually shift from KCRHA to Seattle and King County, while KCRHA continues overseeing regional planning and federal funding coordination.
The final phase of the restructuring calls for a series of Regional Reset Conversations that will bring together local governments, service providers, businesses, labor organizations, philanthropic partners and people with lived experience to help shape the future of the region’s homelessness response. Recommendations from those discussions are expected during the first quarter of 2027.
KCRHA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kelly Kinnison said the agency remains committed to working with its partners throughout the transition.
“KCRHA’s role is transitioning, but the need for a regional homelessness response has not changed,” Kinnison said. “As we move into this next phase, our commitment is to work with Seattle, King County, providers, federal partners, people with lived experience, and communities across the region to protect continuity, maintain essential infrastructure, and build a clearer, more accountable regional backbone.”
For service providers, the restructuring means contracts may eventually be administered by different agencies, but officials say the work itself and the funding that supports it are expected to continue. For people experiencing homelessness, leaders say the goal is for the transition to happen largely behind the scenes, with uninterrupted access to shelter, outreach, housing assistance and other essential services.
