United Way of King County president and CEO Gordon McHenry, Jr., supports the reorganization of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s governance structure, which will discontinue the Implementation Board on which United Way is a member.

Today, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell  announced a revised Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) that will streamline the agency’s governance structure  to improve transparency, coordination, and oversight.

The Interlocal Agreement prompted the creation of KCRHA, which has been governed by two bodies since its launch: an 11-member Governing Committee that includes elected officials and people with lived experience of homelessness, and a 13-member Implementation Board of people with experience in the fields of housing, health and homelessness.

The Governing Committee has provided high-level guidance and oversight, has approved budgets, and has hired, fired, and reviewed the CEO’s performance. The Implementation Board has provided goal setting and oversight like a board of directors.

The new ILA will reorganize the board structure of KCRHA and create a single Governing Board responsible for setting strategic policy direction, providing fiscal oversight, monitoring performance metrics, and ensuring the authority is making progress to fulfill its mission. The Governing Board will be comprised of 12 total members, including:

• The King County Executive
• The Seattle Mayor
• Two members of the King County Council, one representing a district in Seattle and one representing a district outside of Seattle
• Two members of the Seattle City Council 
• Three elected officials from the Sound Cities Association
• Three members representing individuals with lived experience, each individually appointed by the City of Seattle, King County, and Sound Cities Association.

The Implementation Board will be discontinued at the end of the year.

“The King County Regional Homelessness Authority is taking on some of the most challenging work in our region,” said McHenry, who sits on the Implementation Board. “Serving on the Implementation Board since it started and witnessing the organization evolve from its early days to this current iteration has been an incredible experience. I am excited about the streamlined and focused board structure this new ILA provides as the Authority moves into its next phase. I know KCRHA will continue to develop into an even more effective body with Dr. Kelly Kinnison [KCRHA’s new CEO] at the helm. I will continue to support their work wholeheartedly in collaboration with local leaders and community partners.”

Constantine and Harrell said in a prepared statement that the approval of the proposed amended and restated ILA reaffirms the value of the KCRHA, furthers the commitment to a regional approach to addressing homelessness, and allows for continued support with an updated structure to respond to the needs of today.

“To deliver ongoing solutions and tangible change addressing our regional homelessness crisis, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority needs a strong CEO, an effective governance structure, and meaningful regional collaboration,” said Harrell. “With an effective new leader at the helm and learning lessons from its early years in operation, updating the ILA is a critical opportunity to recalibrate how the KCRHA operates and bring more people suffering from homelessness indoors.”

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