KING COUNTY, Wash. — The director of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Dr. Kelly Kinnison, announced she has submitted her letter of resignation during Friday’s Governing Board Meeting. Kinnison says her resignation is effective November 16.
“When I was hired in 2024, I was asked to assess and rebuild a young organization that had significant challenges,” Kinnison told the board. “I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, including surfacing structural issues in our finance department and contributing to the path forward for a more accountable homelessness response system.”
Kinnison’s resignation comes after months of financial challenges for the Authority that oversees homelessness response and services across King County and Seattle, including $8 million that was missing and a deficit that was originally thought to be $4.26 million, but a report in October showed had grown to more than $16 million.
“I want to thank Dr. Kinnison for her service to King County and wish her well on future endeavors,” King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said in a statement. Zahilay is also co-chair of the KCRHA Governing Board. “She took on a challenging job to lead coordination on our region’s most pressing issue amid a shifting federal landscape and structural issues within the authority. King County will continue to work closely with the City of Seattle, homelessness service providers, and other partners throughout the region to ensure a smooth transition into KCRHA’s next phase.”
King County and Seattle had announced taking over contracts from KCRHA amid the scandal. Lawmakers in both the city and county have called for the KCRHA to be dissolved after this year’s federal funding cycle is complete.
“I have a responsibility to the people of Seattle to ensure that financial challenges at KCRHA are addressed and stabilized,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. “I join Executive Zahilay in thanking Dr. Kinnison for her leadership and partnership, and we will make a recommendation soon on interim leadership.”
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