Ever since the King County Regional Homelessness Authority was founded in 2019, its operation and oversight have been questionable. Now, with another accusation of reported heavy-handed management interfering with public records requests, King County and the city of Seattle must act.
Though KCRHA is its own legal authority, it can function only with support from the city and county, which contribute nearly all of the agency’s operating funds. Since both entities hold the purse strings, both should share the responsibility for the operation. That is if they deem it worth saving.
The city and county have taken steps to begin to rectify some of the problems associated with the agency, such as the findings of a forensic audit that revealed failed internal controls, and $13 million unaccounted for.
In July the city and county announced a three-step plan “to stabilize, right size, and reset” the KCRHA. It included the two taking control over local contracts with service providers, leaving federal contracts under KCRHA control.
Now added to its problems are credible accusations that the agency had violated the state’s Public Records Act.
Those accusations have been amplified with the recent resignation of the agency’s public records officer, who claimed KCRHA executive staff prevented her from doing her job by limiting access to emails linked to the agency’s CEO Kelly Kinnison.
Both governments have supported KCRHA over the years, contributing hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars to help alleviate homelessness. For that investment alone, the public has the right to know where each dollar was spent and about the conversations behind the spending decisions.
The resignation of KCRHA’s public records officer should have King County Executive Girmay Zahilay and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson concerned, especially Wilson, who told The Times editorial board in April that her top three priorities were “homelessness, homelessness, homelessness.”
If KCRHA is worth salvaging, making sure it operates within the law when it comes to public records should be part of the plan to stabilize and reset it.
