King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA)

Follow the Money According to a 2022 document from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA) the agency dished out a staggering $107, 396, 057.97 to providers. Look at all the non-profits and players in this industry. Stunning amount of money being spent to address the region’s homeless crisis. It’s broken down by agency name and project. So much to unpack. I encourage all journalists in #Seattle and #KingCounty to start picking this apart. According to a recent KCRHA call, homeless service providers also complained about late payments being an issue this year and last year as well. Post Mortem Check out this tweet showing records of KCRHA staff salaries. 30 of the 100 employees made at least $100,000.

Post Mortem Even before Marc Dones abruptly resigned on Tuesday as CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA), the agency was under heavy scrutiny for it’s performance or lack thereof. Questions were being raised about spending and salaries, especially after Dones asked for $12 billion dollars to fund housing in the region. As Helen Howell becomes interim CEO, the KCRHA Governing Committee and other boards have a lot of soul searching to do. Do they stay the course and stick to the framework left by Dones, or is it time for a total gut rehab? Clearly, the “HOUSING FIRST” strategy is not working. The public is asking for more transparency and accountability, like actual measures of success and Read More ›

Crisis Management Time The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA) just dropped this slick promo video featuring embattled CEO Marc Dones who rarely takes questions from the media. This comes at a time when his agency is being accused of incompetence and mismanagement. Dones is dealing with complaints from service providers about late payments, elected officials continue to scoff at his $12 billion dollar homelessnesss plan, and there have been numerous communication missteps this past year. Remember when Dones incorrectly cited state law and insisted no one could be removed from encampments unless a “permanent housing solution” was offered? Even Gov. Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) had to correct Dones. And King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn (@KCCReaganDunn) still wants KCRHA to be Read More ›

(The Center Square) – The One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan’s first count of 2023 reveals the verified homeless tent count is down 42% from the end of last year. The latest count conducted in March by the city found 414 tents within the city limits. That is down from 712 counted in December 2022. The SODO District had the most tents and RVs counted with 158 combined. The city attributes the drop in tent numbers to its recently-launched Unified Care Team, alongside its partnership with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. According to the city, its Unified Care Team facilitated 1,831 referrals to shelters and tiny house villages last year, with the help of the authority and 30 outreach providers.  The city Read More ›

Exclusive Late Saturday night, a massive inferno engulfed multiple tents inside the unsanctioned SODO homeless encampment near the Salvation Army shelter at 6th Ave & Airport Way S. This is the site of Dow Constantine’s (@kcexec) failed HOMELESS MEGAPLEX. He tried to ram the project through last year without consulting the surrounding #Chinatown-ID neighbors, but the community fought back and won. But the land is still being leased by King County and the illegal encampment continues to be a blight and danger to the community. What a drain on the good men and women of @SeattleFire. Another encampment fire in District 2 and no sign of MIA Councilmember Morales( @CMTammyMorales.) Where is Marc Dones and the @KC_RHA outreach? #Seattle @MayorofSeattle Read More ›

Final Word Today, Governor Inslee @GovInslee confirmed that proviso language DOES NOT require offers of “permanent housing ” to homeless on state right of ways. This is a direct rebuke of @KC_RHA CEO Marc Dones’ interpretation. But will this change the pace of clearings?#Seattle @MayorofSeattle @kcexec @WSDOT Dones Responds During @KC_RHA Governing Committee meeting today, Dones walked back his recent statements about encampment outreach and “permanent housing” as a requirement. He now says congregate shelters are still an option. #Seattle Calling on Mayor Parents at John Stanford Int. School now begging @MayorofSeattle to take control from @WSDOT and lead encampment removals on state right of ways. Significant development this week as officials feel pressure to act swiftly. @GovInslee @KC_RHA @kcexec Read More ›