County council member requests audit of King County Regional Homelessness Authority

KING COUNTY, Wash. — As the King County Regional Homelessness Authority is asking for $209 million this year to deal with the homeless crisis, a councilmember says the issue just keeps getting worse; so he is asking for an audit to find out how the agency is spending its current budget.

Councilmember Reagan Dunn wrote a letter Thursday to the council to express skepticism on behalf of taxpayers that the agency is making a positive impact with the money it is already spending.

Dunn said the agency has had setbacks, as it has been looking for a CEO for a year and a half, and it’s been at odds with the federal government on how it accurately counts the population of people experiencing homelessness.

While Dunn said the homeless crisis continues to worsen, the Washington Post recently cited King County’s new homeless counting system as a model for the nation.

It appears Dunn is asking if the authority’s plan is effective and worth the money.

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority is asking the council for $90 million more this year, nearly double the budget it has now.

Dunn has pointed out that the authority has yet to complete its five-year plan.

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