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Homelessness isn’t just a policy issue for me—it’s personal. As a child growing up in South Seattle, my family and I experienced homelessness and lived in a shelter. I know what it’s like to feel unstable, uncertain, and unseen. That experience shaped my lifelong commitment to ensuring that no one in King County has to endure the same hardship.

Now, as a King County Councilmember, I have worked to expand affordable housing, increase crisis care services, and invest in shelter options. But despite efforts like these, homelessness in our region has only worsened. 

A recent federal report confirmed what many of us already knew—Seattle, King County, and Washington State have failed to make meaningful progress. More people than ever are living outdoors, and we are not moving them into stable housing quickly enough. This is not an inevitability. It is a policy failure. And it requires an urgent, results-driven response.

Everyone in King County deserves to be stably housed. The fact that we are so far behind in achieving this goal is a policy failure—and it demands an all-hands-on-deck approach to deliver the results our residents deserve. As your candidate for King County Executive, I am presenting a plan that confronts these challenges head-on, emphasizing immediate action, measurable outcomes, and sustainable, comprehensive solutions.

Key Components of My Plan:

1. Focus on Outcomes, Not Ideology

We cannot afford to be dogmatic about our approaches to ending homelessness. Policymakers spend too much energy debating one-size-fits-all strategies. While these methods can be effective on average, prioritizing ideology over individualized solutions leads to people falling through the cracks. Instead, we must focus on outcomes, which means responding to each person’s unique needs and creating an individualized plan tailored to what will work for them. Every program, department, and dollar spent must be accountable to outcomes, and those outcomes should be measured by how many people are safely moved from the streets and into stable next steps, whether that is housing, behavioral health services, or both. We must:

• Demand strong performance metrics for all programs and services addressing homelessness. 
• Conduct Regular External Audits: Conduct independent, third-party audits of homelessness programs to ensure transparency and effectiveness. Share audit results publicly to build trust and improve accountability.
• Be willing to adapt: If certain strategies are underperforming, we must move away from them and try new approaches that deliver better results.

This outcomes-driven mindset ensures we stay focused on solutions that truly work, rather than those that sound appealing.

2. Immediate Expansion of Shelter and Emergency Housing

• Prioritize and Increase Emergency Housing: Pursue state and federal funding to add 17,000 emergency housing beds county-wide, which is slightly more than the number of unhoused people living outdoors in King County.
• Increase Non-Congregate Shelters: Develop safer and more dignified temporary housing solutions, such as individual units  and tiny house villages, to provide immediate relief for people living unsheltered.

3. Prioritize Unsheltered Homelessness

• Sharpen the Focus of KCRHA: Ensure the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) remains laser-focused on reducing unsheltered homelessness by prioritizing urgent interventions for those living chronically outside.
• Conduct Targeted Outreach and Immediate Support: Deploy specialized teams to connect unsheltered individuals with housing and resources.
• Build Public Confidence: By addressing the most visible and acute forms of homelessness, we restore public trust and generate momentum for broader initiatives.

4. Set SMART Goals with Tailored Approaches

• Learn from Success: King County has successfully reduced veteran homelessness through targeted resources and coordinated care with the VA, providing immediate and comprehensive support.
• Replicate Effective Models: Apply the same focused strategies to other disproportionately impacted groups like Black and Indigenous communities, with Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals tailored to their needs.

5. Robust Behavioral Health System

• Expand Crisis Care: Establish a system that includes crisis lines, mobile responders, and crisis care centers to address mental health and substance use challenges effectively.
• Invest in Broader Continuum of Care: Ensure these services connect seamlessly with long-term recovery and housing solutions.

6. Dramatically Increase Housing Supply

• Increase Access to Capital for Building: Utilize bonds, housing levies, and state and federal grants to fund housing development of all types.
• Cut Red Tape & Accelerate Permitting: Make it easier and faster to build housing by streamlining permitting timelines and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
• Reform Zoning for Greater Density: Support zoning changes that allow for more housing in urban areas where infrastructure and transit can support growth.
• Strengthen Regional Planning & Coordination: Strengthen collaboration between cities and counties to align housing strategies and maximize impact.
• Foster a Pro-Housing Culture: Ensure every county department treats housing production as a top priority, removing obstacles and actively facilitating solutions.

7. Prevent Homelessness through Rental Assistance, Economic Opportunities, and Community Support

• Eviction & Home Loss Prevention Programs: Enforce fair housing laws to prevent discrimination, and implement rental assistance, legal aid, and mediation services to prevent unwarranted evictions.
• Job Creation and Living Wages: Promote economic initiatives that ensure financial stability for all residents.
• Support for Youth: Implement early intervention strategies to prevent youth homelessness and provide stable housing for young people at risk, including LGBTQ+ youth, who are disproportionately affected. Invest in family reunification programs when safe and appropriate.

8. Reform KCRHA and Enhance Regional Coordination

• Unified Governance: Reform KCRHA to create a single Governing Board responsible for strategic direction and performance oversight. This Board should include people with lived experience.
• Rescope the Mission: KCRHA’s focus should be rescoped to focus primarily on unsheltered homelessness.
• Demand Strong Performance Metrics: Use comprehensive data to inform policies and track progress, ensuring transparency and accountability. Report out progress regularly to the public. 
• Rebuild Trust with Partner Cities: through accountability, strong performance metrics, transparency, and changed approach, regain the trust and buy-in of partner cities around the region to enhance regional coordination.
• Strengthen coordination with nonprofits, the faith community, and the private sector to combine resources and support holistic, humane solutions to homelessness.

A New Approach for King County

This plan is not business as usual. It focuses on outcomes over ideology, immediate action over bureaucracy, and measurable results over abstract goals. By prioritizing unsheltered homelessness, adopting proven strategies, and committing to transparency and adaptability, we can finally deliver the solutions King County residents deserve.

Homelessness is complex and multifaceted, but it is solvable with the right approach. Together, we can create a region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your continued support and trust.

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Sincerely,
Girmay Zahilay
Candidate for King County Executive