Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson says the King County Regional Homelessness Agency can’t account for $13 million in “public funds,” according to a review of the agency commissioned by the city and county before she took office, Here’s her statement:
The City and County launched a forensic evaluation into the KCRHA in August 2025 in response to ongoing operational and financial issues at the agency, including leadership turnover, delayed payments, State Auditor findings, unverified accounting of cash advances, persistent cash flow challenges, and overspending on administrative resources.
The City of Seattle has received the results of a forensic investigation covering the period from the agency’s inception through July 2025 which identifies serious failures of KCRHA’s internal controls, fiscal management and accountability. The investigation found that the agency is unable to account for $13 million in public funds, and the City will be pursuing immediate corrective action.
“Addressing homelessness is my highest priority, and I have serious concerns about KCRHA’s management of city funds,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “We need to take swift action to protect public dollars. All options are on the table.”
The agency is supposed to be handling contracts with service providers, including the $3 million contract for the planned new West Seattle tiny-house/RV-lot site Glassyard Commons. Some Seattle councilmembers are reacting with anger; Councilmember Maritza Rivera says the agency should be dismantled, while Councilmember Bob Kettle says the review surfaces “systemic issues that can no longer be ignored.” (He cites the amount of missing money as $8 million; as of this writing, the actual report by Clark Nuber P.S. hasn’t yet been released to media. We’ll link it when we get/find it.)