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rCyI am shocked and outragedrCO: $13 million in public funds unaccounted for in King County homelessness agency
Apr 22, 2026, 5:18 PM | Updated: 6:32 pm

BY JULIA DALLAS MyNorthwest Content Editor

Seattle city leaders are calling for major changes after a forensic investigation found $13 million in public funding unaccounted for at the
King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), according to a post
from the Seattle MayorrCOs Office.

The mayorrCOs office said the city will be pursuing immediate corrective action.

rCLAddressing homelessness is my highest priority, and I have serious
concerns about KCRHArCOs management of city funds,rCY Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said in a statement. rCLWe need to take swift action to protect
public dollars. All options are on the table.rCY

What the King County homelessness agency investigation found
The investigation, which reviewed the agencyrCOs operations from 2021
through July 2025, found millions of dollars unaccounted for and a
negative cash position of nearly $45 million, according to Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle.

While Wilson said $13 million was unaccounted for, Kettle cited $8 million.

rCLThe report identifies approximately $8 million in unreconciled receivables,rCY Kettle told KIRO Newsradio via email. rCLThese amounts
relate to services that were delivered but require further
reconciliation within the accounting system. Work is actively underway,
and a substantial portion has already been identified and is progressing toward resolution.rCY

Meanwhile, KCRHA offered its own breakdown, pointing to $8 million in unreconciled receivables, $6.4 million in budget reclassifications, and
a $1.3 million reporting discrepancy. The agency said no evidence of
fraud or misuse of funding was identified.

rCLWe take these findings seriously,rCY KCRHA CEO Kelly Kinnison said in a statement to members of the Governing Board. rCLMany reflect conditions
that I was hired to address and have been working on rCo and the audit provides important clarity that will help guide our next phase of strengthening KCRHArCOs financial systems and organizational performance.rCY

Two weeks ago, when asked about a King County Department of Community
and Human Services investigation, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay
told rCLThe Gee and Ursula ShowrCY on KIRO Newsradio the problem was bigger than any one person.

rCLI would say that, absent some actual bad actors, I think the overall
issue is a systemic failure, which is that during the pandemic, King
County received lots of new resources from the federal government,rCY
Zahilay said. rCLThis was a time of emergency, and we made conscious
decisions to get dollars out of the door as quickly as possible, because people were in crisis.rCY


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Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera wants the agency dismantled.

rCLI am shocked and outraged after seeing the results of the forensic evaluation of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, which I
just received today,rCY Rivera said in a statement. rCLIt shows an egregious mismanagement of funds and an unacceptable lack of financial accountability.rCY

Kettle said the findings show systemic leadership failures and a need
for stronger regional oversight and accountability.

rCLThe results of the recent King County Regional Homelessness Authority
audit are damning. It shows an epic, and consistent, failure of
leadership at the top of the agency rCo especially at its start,rCY Kettle said in a statement. rCLIt also reveals the failure of leadership of the county and city. The audit reveals troubling systemic issues that can no longer be ignored if we are to address the homelessness and public
safety crisis in Seattle effectively.rCY

The KCRHA investigation was launched due to operational and financial
issues at the agency, including leadership turnover, late payments,
findings from the State Auditor, unverified accounting of cash advances,
cash flow challenges, and overspending on administrative resources,
according to the mayorrCOs office.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi, KIRO Newsradio

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