(The Center Square) – The King County Regional Homelessness Authority plans to implement a 22% decrease in its overall workforce to address a projected $4.7 million budget shortfall in 2026. The decision comes at a time of anticipated federal funding cuts and budget challenges from Seattle and King County.
KCRHA attributes the shortfall to several factors, including a lapse of one-time pandemic-related federal funding, a historically low – 5.7% to 8.5% – administrative rate, and a reimbursement-based funding model that forces the agency to take out high-interest loans.
In a governing board meeting on Monday, KCRHA CEO Kelly Kinnison said initial actions taken by KCRHA to help address the $4.7 million budget shortfall included a hiring freeze for almost all of 2025 and “extremely limited travel.” The agency also significantly reduced its use of consultants and moved some staff from less consequential positions to more essential operational roles…