Today Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), who serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee, issued the following statement on the released findings of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCHRA) forensic audit. The evaluation was commissioned by the City of Seattle and King County and conducted by Clark Nuber P.S. It examines the agency’s operations between the period of 2021 to 2025. Among the findings is a negative cash position of $44.7 million as of July 2025 and $8 million that can’t be accounted for.    

“The results of the recent King County Regional Homelessness Authority audit are damning. It shows an epic, and consistent, failure of leadership at the top of the agency — especially at its start. It also reveals the failure of leadership of the county and city. The audit reveals troubling systemic issues that can no longer be ignored if we are to address the homelessness and public safety crisis in Seattle effectively.

“We have a regional homelessness problem on the streets of Seattle. We need a regional approach to tackle the challenges we face.  To truly do so, we need a unified, countywide approach that operates with a defined purpose, compassion, and accountability.

“Again, as part of this discussion, it’s important to acknowledge the hard truth that King County and the City of Seattle did not set the KCRHA up for success at its inception. The original foundation was flawed. While we took critical steps to repair its governance structure at the close of 2024 thanks to a new City Council, our work is far from finished.

“Now is the time to pivot toward the future. We need to specifically focus on financial oversight and operational transparency. This is to ensure the agency is empowered and equipped to get the job done and to effectively help our community’s most vulnerable.”

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