My Plan to Address Homelessness in King County

I’ve seen the devastating impacts of homelessness firsthand. As a child growing up in South Seattle, my family and I experienced homelessness and spent time in a shelter — I know the fear and instability that come with not having a place to call home. Later, as a King County Councilmember, I championed policies to build more affordable housing, expand crisis care, and increase shelter options. But despite efforts like these, the crisis has only worsened because our region’s approach has not kept pace with the scale of the challenge.

Last month, the federal government released a report that confirmed what many of us already knew — Washington State, King County, and Seattle have failed to make progress on homelessness.

The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that more people than ever are living outside in our county, and we are failing to move them into stable housing quickly enough.

This is a policy failure — and it demands an all-hands-on-deck approach to deliver the results our residents deserve. As your candidate for King County Executive, I am presenting a plan that confronts these challenges head-on, emphasizing immediate action, measurable outcomes, and sustainable, comprehensive solutions.

My Plan to Address Homelessness in King County

1️⃣ Focus on Outcomes, Not Ideology

Policymakers spend too much time debating one-size-fits-all strategies. The truth is, there is no single solution to homelessness — every individual has unique needs, and our response must be tailored to them. We must:

✅ Demand strong performance metrics for all programs addressing homelessness.
✅ Conduct regular independent audits to ensure transparency and effectiveness.
✅ Be willing to adjust — if a strategy isn’t working, we need to change course quickly.

This outcomes-driven mindset ensures we stay focused on what actually works and learn and grow from what doesn’t, not just what sounds good.

2️⃣ Invest in Shelter and Emergency Housing

We need more places for people to go immediately — right now, there simply aren’t enough shelter beds or transitional housing options. My plan will:

✅ Pursue state and federal funding to add 17,000 emergency housing beds across King County — enough to cover the number of people currently living outdoors.
✅ Expand non-congregate shelter options, including tiny house villages and individual units, so people experiencing homelessness have safer, more dignified housing options.

3️⃣ Prioritize Unsheltered Homelessness

The most visible and urgent form of homelessness is people living outdoors without any shelter. We must:

✅ Ensure the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) stays laser-focused on reducing unsheltered homelessness.
✅ Deploy targeted outreach teams to provide immediate resources to those in crisis.
✅ Restore public confidence by making real progress on the most visible and acute forms of homelessness, which will generate momentum for broader initiatives.

4️⃣ Set SMART Goals with Tailored Approaches

✅ Learn from Success: King County has successfully cut veteran homelessness significantly through targeted resources and coordinated care with the VA, providing immediate and comprehensive support.
✅ Replicate Effective Models: Apply the same focused strategies to other disproportionately impacted groups like Black and Indigenous communities, with Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals tailored to their needs.

5️⃣ Expand Behavioral Health and Crisis Care Services

Homelessness and behavioral health challenges are deeply connected. That’s why I championed the Crisis Care Centers initiative to build new mental health and addiction treatment facilities. As Executive, I will:

✅ Expand mobile crisis teams and recovery centers to ensure people receive the help they need.
✅ Connect behavioral health care directly to housing programs so individuals can get long-term support.

6️⃣ Dramatically Increase Housing Supply

✅ Use bonds, levies, and federal grants to fund new housing development.
✅ Cut red tape to accelerate permitting and make it easier and faster to build housing.
✅ Support zoning reforms to allow for greater housing density in urban areas.
✅ Strengthen regional planning to ensure all cities in King County contribute to solving this crisis.
✅ Foster a pro-housing culture to ensure every county department treats housing production as a top priority, removing obstacles and actively facilitating solutions.

7️⃣ Prevent Homelessness Before It Starts

We must stop people from experiencing homelessness in the first place. Keeping people housed maintains dignity and is far less costly. We can prevent people entering homelessness by:

✅ Expanding rental assistance programs to prevent evictions.
✅ Enforcing fair housing laws to protect tenants.
✅ Investing in job training and economic stability programs to help families stay housed.
✅ Providing targeted support for at-risk youth, including LGBTQ+ youth who are disproportionately affected.

8️⃣ Reform KCRHA and Enhance Regional Coordination

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) needs to be more accountable, more effective, and more transparent. My plan will:

✅ Restructure KCRHA leadership to create a single Governing Board responsible for strategic direction and performance oversight.
✅ Sharpen the agency’s focus on reducing unsheltered homelessness.
✅ Rebuild trust with partner cities through accountability, strong performance metrics, transparency, and changed approach, regain the trust and buy-in of partner cities around the region to enhance regional coordination.
✅ Strengthen coordination with nonprofits, the faith community, and the private sector to combine resources and support holistic, humane solutions to homelessness.

A New Approach for King County

This plan is not business as usual. It prioritizes outcomes over ideology, immediate action over bureaucracy, and measurable results over abstract goals.

This Is Personal for Me — And We Can’t Accept the Status Quo

Homelessness isn’t just a statistic to me — it’s personal. My family lived in a shelter when I was a child, and we know firsthand what it’s like to feel unstable, uncertain, and unseen.

I refuse to accept a King County where thousands of families and individuals are forced to live in tents, streets, or cars with no clear path forward.

We need leadership that is willing to be bold, hold systems accountable, and make the tough choices necessary to actually reduce homelessness in our communities. That is exactly the kind of leadership I’m ready to bring as your next King County Executive.

If you believe in real solutions over political stagnation, I ask for your support in this fight.

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Together, we can build a King County where everyone has a safe place to call home.