Final week, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) started its first-ever management transition as inaugural CEO Marc Dones introduced their departure from the group.
As leaders within the enterprise, philanthropy and nonprofit communities, we thank Marc for his or her constant and clear partnership, and for his or her innovation within the first part of the company’s work.
Elected leaders within the Metropolis of Seattle and King County took a brave leap in 2019 once they voted to create KCRHA, shifting to finish many years of fragmentation within the homeless response system, guarantee folks in want can entry providers, shelter and housing as effectively and rapidly as doable, and heart folks with lived experiences of homelessness.
Since then, progress has been made and classes have been realized.
Over the previous two years, KCRHA and companions at state companies have resolved 14 encampments, together with long-entrenched websites in North Seattle and the Chinatown Worldwide District (CID). Each a kind of resolutions helped tons of of individuals transition off the road.
With Gov. Jay Inslee’s Rights-of-Method Security Initiative, KCRHA has moved almost 300 people, together with {couples} and households, into momentary or everlasting housing. In downtown Seattle and the CID, the public-private Partnership for Zero established a cross-sector Housing Command Heart that has helped greater than 100 folks into everlasting housing, an effort that can proceed on via the dedication of the We Are In coalition.
And almost 1,400 households now have long-term leases via federal emergency housing vouchers, an effort that’s drawn nationwide discover for its success.
King County, in the meantime, has created greater than 1,300 items of Everlasting Supportive Housing, with extra to observe. Redmond has damaged floor on virtually 300 extra items. Bellevue is opening a brand new males’s shelter later this yr. And over the winter, 5 northern cities in King County became the primary to hitch Seattle in coordinating funding and technique with KCRHA.
Most lately, the White Home validated King County’s progress by making our group one among simply 5 throughout the nation to hitch a brand new homelessness prevention initiative that unlocks new coordination and help from the federal authorities.
These are successes, however we additionally need to be trustworthy about the place enchancment is required. Current reports in The Seattle Instances about difficulties with service supplier contracts — funding for these on the entrance line — stretching on for 2 years now are very regarding. There are operational and oversight fixes that must be made, rapidly. Instances columnist Danny Westneat’s latest piece urges leaders to significantly focus the group — we agree.
Some have requested: Why can’t leaders in authorities, philanthropy, enterprise, providers and labor simply agree on an method with out all of the paperwork? Couldn’t metropolis and county governments simply all comply with consolidate supplier contracts and use the identical metrics? Couldn’t they only all agree to make use of finest practices and knowledge to make choices?
Perhaps. However within the historical past of our native governments, regardless of many years of warnings and analyses, these modifications by no means occurred — till the creation of KCRHA. We must be clear-eyed that shifting away from KCRHA can be an affirmative step again to a fragmented and worse system.
The subsequent everlasting CEO of KCRHA can have all of those points and plenty of extra to unravel as a part of their scope. For sure, the job won’t be straightforward — it’s crucial that they repeatedly enhance processes to assist these experiencing homelessness, and achieve this with urgency. And as exterior companions, it’s crucial that we offer the help and persistence wanted for the CEO and company to thrive.
Regardless of who’s main our area’s homelessness response system, we need to be very clear: Group leaders help the establishment of KCRHA and the countywide method to stopping homelessness. We’re dedicated to the long-term success of regional motion on homelessness, and are dedicated to creating certain the following everlasting CEO of KCRHA has all of the assets and help they should proceed making progress. We’ll embrace efforts to make the company simpler, and on the identical time, we are going to reject makes an attempt to undermine it.
Because the five-year plan to handle homelessness is finalized within the coming weeks, we’re reminded that transformative change doesn’t occur in a single day, particularly at this scale. It’s a lengthy course of requiring enter and buy-in from everybody in the neighborhood, particularly individuals who have been homeless themselves.
We’re in the course of a significant shift that can result in higher outcomes for our neighbors and not using a secure and secure place to stay. Collectively, we should construct on successes and repair errors — and hold shifting ahead.
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