The Brief
- King County is moving to dismantle the King County Regional Homelessness Authority following audits that revealed $13 million in unaccounted funds and a $38 million deficit.
- A new independent Inspector General’s office is being fast-tracked to investigate fraud and recover misspent money, specifically addressing $813,000 allegedly funneled to a county manager’s family.
- The dissolution will take 90 to 120 days to ensure over 200 social service contracts are transferred without leaving vulnerable populations without care.
SEATTLE – The King County Council is moving to dissolve the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) and establish a new independent watchdog following a series of audits and reports detailing millions in unaccounted funds and internal fraud.
Legislation introduced Tuesday would begin a 90-day process to dismantle the KCRHA, an agency formed in 2021 to unify the region’s response to homelessness. The move comes as a new forensic investigation revealed a “crumbling foundation,” showing the agency has $13 million in unaccounted funds—including $8 million in unmatched funds and $4.26 million in overspending.
Councilmember Rod Dembowski, a primary sponsor of the legislation, said the agency’s failure to produce results has reached a breaking point.…