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Kirkland staff present 76‑action homelessness plan; council asks for hybrid funding language and targeted community engagement
Summary
City staff presented a 76‑action Homelessness Continuum of Care Action Plan Nov. 18 and recommended additional community engagement on contested actions (landlord assistance, temporary shelter siting, tiny‑home villages, funding options). Council asked staff to prepare hybrid wording that signals advocacy for regional funding while allowing community engagement before committing to specific revenue measures.
City staff reviewed an updated Homelessness Continuum of Care Action Plan before council Nov. 18 that consolidates prevention, outreach, shelter and long‑term housing strategies into roughly 76 actions. The plan reflects Phase 1 and Phase 2 public engagement and emphasizes prevention investments, continued support for the HEART outreach team and provisions to support vulnerable residents such as seniors and people with disabilities.
Staff said public input was broadly supportive of the plan’s four priority areas but that several topics generated divergent views and require additional engagement if they move into implementation: landlord assistance programs, siting for temporary severe‑weather shelters, potential tiny‑home villages, operational support for the Health Through Housing project, and options for sustainable local funding for homelessness response.
Council discussed Action 65, which in its original draft advocated for a specific regional housing levy. Staff presented both the original text and an alternative, more general formulation. Mayor Kelly Curtis urged stronger, actionable language — asking that “intends” be replaced with “will” in public‑benefit commitments — but several council members supported a hybrid approach: a general signal that the city will pursue regional funding options while committing to additional public engagement before advocating for a specific levy.
Council also asked staff to continue targeted engagement with landlords, service providers and neighborhood stakeholders on items flagged for additional work and to return the action plan for adoption on Dec. 9 with the requested revisions and a plan for next steps, performance review every three years, and periodic budget‑process issue papers covering progress and funding needs.
Staff stressed timing reasons for a December adoption — aligning the action plan with the City’s budget process and the community rollout of Health Through Housing — and noted that follow‑up engagement would be part of implementation on contested items.
