Zahilay and Wilson Partially Dismantle KCRHA Amid Rising Homelessness

KCRHA Is Finally Being Held Accountable. But Will Anything Change?

For years, Seattle and King County residents have been told that homelessness would improve if government spent more money, created new programs, and built larger bureaucracies to coordinate the response. Many people wanted to believe that approach would work. Instead, public spending has continued to climb while more people are living outside, often struggling with addiction, untreated mental illness, or both. At the same time, the King County …

Zahilay and Wilson Partially Dismantle KCRHA Amid Rising Homelessness

King County's homeless population grew to 18,365 in a 2026 count, up 9% from 2024.Last week, Seattle and King County announced that they are re-absorbing their contracts for homelessness services from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA). The KCRHA has been administering over 400 city and county contracts worth around $160 million, but these contracts will be returned to Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) and King Count…