SEATTLE — The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) Governing Committee unanimously approved its five-year plan Thursday.
The plan, which operates within KCRHA's current budget, lays out its path forward to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the county. Key goals of the five-year plan include ensuring service providers have the staff and tools needed, coordinating the county’s network of providers and collaborating with other systems like healthcare, employment and education.
KCRHA said it needs to create 18,200 units of temporary shelter or housing by 2027 to meet the need of the 53,000 people that experience homelessness over the course of one year in the county.
According to a required U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Point-In-Time Count, KCRHA's systems have a total of 12,644 units of permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, or housing through federal vouchers dedicated to homelessness response.
On the day of the count, King County had 6,464 people in emergency shelters, up from 5,683 in 2022.
According to the plan, KCRHA’s top priorities for the first two years include:
- Streamlining the contracting process to ensure timely and reliable collaboration with service providers
- Optimizing existing funding in our current budget by restructuring and re-procuring service contracts
- Leveraging federal funding, including use of Medicaid funds, and advocacy with federal partners for expansion of housing investments
- Increasing capacity for services like outreach, shelter, and emergency housing when funding is available
- Improving data and dashboards, including better information about populations disproportionately impacted
- Developing a real-time bed availability tool so all service providers can match people to beds faster
- Improving wrap-around supports to people with behavioral health needs through partnership
- Improving severe weather response across all sub-regions
- Increasing support and funding for BIPOC organizations
- Developing programs in partnership with Youth and Young Adults
- Continuing to refine the pilot of the Housing Command Center model of emergency management response to unsheltered homelessness
Find more information on the five-year plan at kcrha.org.
