Councilmembers call for dissolution of King County Regional Homelessness Authority after forensic review

Councilmember Rivera said Tuesday that taxpayer dollars for homelessness response must be spent wisely and announced she will introduce a companion resolution with King County Councilmember Rod Dombowski to begin a process to dissolve the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA).

Rod Dombowski, chair of the King County Council's Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, said the authority — created six years ago with philanthropic support and later modified by city and county councils — has repeatedly failed to manage public funds and deliver on its core mission to shelter people. "They have overspent their budget. They cannot account for the dollars on a material basis," Dombowski said, citing state and county audits and a forensic evaluation that extended through July 2025.

Rivera said the two will ask staff to prepare legislation; under the interlocal agreement that created KCRHA, adoption of motions or resolutions by the respective city and county councils would trigger a one-year period, she said, for an "orderly" unwind and transfer of responsibilities back to local governments. Rivera framed the move as a step to make sure homelessness dollars "are actually going to house folks and help folks."

In remarks to reporters, Dombowski recounted that providers complained of months-long payment delays in 2023 and that multiple audits raised red flags. He said the record-keeping was poor enough that reviewers "couldn't assure us there wasn't any fraud," though he added he had "seen nothing yet in the financial reviews that would indicate there's been any criminal conduct."

Reporters pressed how the city and county would avoid fragmentation if the authority is dissolved. Dombowski and Rivera said both jurisdictions previously ran homelessness programs and maintain regional structures — including a monthly regional policy committee and shared public-health operations with Seattle — that could be used to coordinate services without the separate KCRHA entity. Rivera said the city and county would continue to allocate funds for homelessness but did not specify precise budget decisions or a funding timetable.

On specifics cited in the discussion, a questioner referenced an estimate that "up to $13,000,000 of their money has been wasted." Dombowski and Rivera described the findings as "egregious" and said the resolutions are intended to restore accountability; the forensic evaluation and earlier audits are the basis for that characterization. Dombowski also said KCRHA proposed an initial five‑year plan he described in large terms during remarks; those reported budgetary figures were spoken by participants in the event and are presented here as their statements.

No council vote or formal adoption occurred at the press event. Rivera and Dombowski said they had begun outreach to Mayor Wilson's office and to County Executive Zahaalai and that the statements and interim steps issued by those offices the previous day indicate a shared interest in an orderly, transparent process should councils vote to proceed.

The two called the press event the start of that process. They closed by saying the city and county would work together to develop the transition plan and that more formal steps — including the introduction of resolutions to respective councils — will follow.