King County Regional Homelessness Authority

What King County Regional Homelessness Authority does

King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) is a government administrative agency established by interlocal agreement between the City of Seattle and King County, beginning operations in mid-2021 to coordinate regional homelessness response across all 39 cities and unincorporated areas of King County, Washington. The authority administers approximately $205 million annually in federal, state, and local public funds, distributing this through competitive RFPs to more than 60 contracted nonprofit, community-based, faith-based, and tribal service providers that deliver outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. KCRHA holds no earned revenue stream of its own; it operates as a passthrough funding administrator and regional coordinator whose budget is set through the appropriation processes of its member governments. Service segments served include people experiencing homelessness (primary), contracted nonprofit service providers, and government partner jurisdictions (City of Seattle, King County, Washington State Department of Commerce, and HUD).

KCRHA's core technology and product surface consists of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a federally mandated web-based person-level database into which over 85% of regional Continuum of Care programs report; the Coordinated Entry system that funnels households into Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Transitional Housing; a privacy-protected By-Name List for case planning and housing placement; a public System Performance Dashboard with subpopulation cuts on enrollments, exits, length of stay, return rates, and utilization; and a Salesforce-based grants management platform that handles contracts, invoices, amendments, RFPs, and compliance reporting for the 60+ provider network. The authority administers the annual federally required Point-in-Time Count, using Respondent Driven Sampling methodology developed in collaboration with the University of Washington since 2022 for more accurate unsheltered population estimates. Standard operational tooling includes Smartsheet for incident and committee workflows and BambooHR for applicant tracking.

The organization is currently undergoing a forced structural transition. A Clark Nuber forensic evaluation covering April 2021 to July 2025 identified significant weaknesses in KCRHA's financial systems, internal controls, and reporting practices, though no evidence of fraud was found. In July 2026, Seattle and King County announced they will reclaim approximately $160 million in homeless service contracts from KCRHA over six months, with full local control resuming by January 2027. Leadership includes CEO Dr. Kelly Kinnison (former federal ASPE Director, 25+ years of social services experience), supported by five additional C-suite officers and senior directors. Regional demand for services continues to grow: the 2026 PIT Count identified 18,365 individuals (up 9% from 2024), against a shelter inventory operating at 94% occupancy with roughly one shelter bed for every three individuals experiencing homelessness.

Name

King County Regional Homelessness Authority

Legal name

King County Regional Homelessness Authority

Website

https://kcrha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

King County Regional Homelessness Authority is a Seattle-based government agency that coordinates regional homelessness response across 39 cities, administering approximately $205 million annually through contracts with 60+ service providers via HMIS data systems and Salesforce grants management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness Services Administration

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Homelessness services coordination
• Continuum of care administration
• Human services funding
• Regional housing policy
• Government nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding Administration: KCRHA distributes approximately $205 million annually in federal, state, and local funding to over 60 service providers. The agency does not levy taxes but is funded through regular budget processes of King County and City of Seattle, supplemented by Washington State Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds.
2. HUD Continuum of Care Grants: Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance funds awarded through annual national competitive process for Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, Transitional Housing, and Supportive Services Only projects. Approximately $65 million in federal homelessness funding for the region.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) is a government administrative agency that unifies and coordinates the regional homelessness response across all 39 cities of King County, Washington. It administers approximately $205 million annually in federal, state, and local funding, distributing it through competitive RFPs to over 60 contracted nonprofit, faith-based, tribal, and community-based service providers that deliver outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, diversion, and permanent supportive housing. Its core deliverables are the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Coordinated Entry referral system, By-Name List, public System Performance Dashboard, annual Point-in-Time Count using Respondent Driven Sampling, Housing Inventory Count, and Salesforce-based grants management.

Product overview

KCRHA is an administrative agency that administers homeless services and funding across King County, not a product company in the traditional sense. The organization's core offerings include: the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for tracking client data across 85%+ of providers; Coordinated Entry for housing referrals; a System Performance Dashboard for outcome monitoring; Point-In-Time Count methodology for population estimation; Housing Inventory Count tracking; and Salesforce-based grants management for over 60 service providers. KCRHA distributes approximately $205 million annually to service providers but does not provide direct services or build housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ households housed in 2025, fourth consecutive year of increased housing outcomes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Alliance to End HomelessnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025National advocacy organization that filed lawsuit challenging HUD's FY2025 NOFO terms. KCRHA and King County joined this lawsuit, resulting in federal court preliminary injunction striking the original NOFO and directing HUD to proceed under FY2024 terms.
• State of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025State government that joined lawsuit with KCRHA and King County challenging HUD FY2025 NOFO terms. Federal injunction protected approximately $65 million in federal homelessness funding for the region.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership for Point-in-Time count methodology. University of Washington researchers advised on Respondent Driven Sampling design and statistical modeling for the 2022, 2024, and 2026 PIT counts. Expert statistician from UW supports data collection and population estimation. Research collaboration aims to produce high-quality, ethical enumeration of people experiencing homelessness.
• NickelsvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots collective of homeless and formerly homeless people operating Brighton Village, a 14-unit tiny home village in South Seattle. KCRHA coordinates with Nickelsville for shelter operations and service delivery. This represents KCRHA's commitment to centering lived experience in service design.
• Public Health of Seattle King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner for addressing visible homelessness through collaboration on behavioral health services for people in acute crises, those with co-occurring disorders, and substance use disorders.
• King County Behavioral Health and Recovery DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for addressing behavioral health needs of people experiencing homelessness through coordinated healthcare and recovery services integrated with housing interventions.
• Housing ConnectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for Rapid Rehousing programs that helps match people experiencing homelessness with private market housing units, facilitating landlord relationships and housing placements.
• Seattle Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three public housing authorities in King County. Partnered with KCRHA for Emergency Housing Voucher program that successfully placed over 1,400 people into permanent housing, achieving one of the best track records in the nation.
• King County Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three public housing authorities in King County. Partnered with KCRHA for Emergency Housing Voucher program and permanent supportive housing placement initiatives.
• Renton Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three public housing authorities in King County. Partnered with KCRHA for Emergency Housing Voucher program and permanent supportive housing placement initiatives.
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal funding source and regulatory partner. KCRHA serves as the Collaborative Applicant for the Seattle-King County Continuum of Care (WA-500) and receives McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance funds through annual NOFO competitions. HUD approves KCRHA's PIT count methodology including Respondent Driven Sampling approach.
• Washington State Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState funding partner for intensive outreach and housing through State Right of Way Safety Initiative. Collaborative effort between Commerce, Department of Transportation, Washington State Patrol, and KCRHA brought over 300 people inside.
• Washington State Department of TransportationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in State Right of Way Safety Initiative for bringing people living on state highways inside with emphasis on permanent housing through intensive outreach.
• Washington State PatrolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partner in State Right of Way Safety Initiative for addressing encampments on state highways through collaborative outreach approach.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Building Changes: Building Changes is a Pacific Northwest advocacy and capacity-building nonprofit focused on family and youth homelessness, employing KCRHA's Senior Director of the Ombuds Office. It serves as a regional peer organization working on homelessness policy, advocacy, and system coordination — comparable scope and geography, different organizational form.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National advocacy and policy organization that partners with Continuum of Care lead agencies like KCRHA on federal funding advocacy, research, and best practices. It co-filed the December 2025 NOFO lawsuit with KCRHA, demonstrating its role as a strategic ally in shaping the policy environment for regional authorities.
• HUD User / HUD Exchange: HUD Exchange is the federal government's primary resource portal for Continuum of Care lead agencies, providing HMIS standards, NOFO guidance, and training. It is the upstream regulatory and infrastructure counterpart to KCRHA's CoC administration role.
• BitFocus (HMIS vendor): BitFocus is the HMIS software vendor supporting KCRHA's data infrastructure (the [email protected] contact appears in KCRHA's provider materials). As the technology backbone for HMIS reporting and case management, Bitfocus is a direct infrastructure provider whose platform enables KCRHA's data advantage.

Direct peers

• Coalition for the Homeless (Houston): Houston's Coalition for the Homeless serves as the lead agency for the Houston/Harris County Continuum of Care, administering HMIS, conducting PIT counts, and coordinating service providers across a major metro region. Its scope, funding administration role, and data infrastructure function parallel KCRHA's mission and operating model.
• Chicago Continuum of Care (All Chicago): All Chicago serves as the Collaborative Applicant for the Chicago Continuum of Care, administering HUD CoC funding, HMIS, and coordinated entry across Chicago's homelessness service ecosystem. Its size, urban focus, and funding-administration model directly parallel KCRHA's role in King County.
• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA): LAHSA is the regional government authority coordinating homelessness funding and services across Los Angeles County, operating as a Joint Powers Authority. Like KCRHA, it administers HMIS, conducts PIT counts, distributes HUD CoC funding, and manages coordinated entry across multiple municipalities — the closest structural analog in the US.
• District of Columbia Interagency Council on Homelessness: The DC Interagency Council on Homelessness coordinates the District's Continuum of Care, manages HMIS-equivalent systems, and conducts annual PIT counts. It serves as the comparable single-jurisdiction lead entity to KCRHA, with similar scope of funding administration and interagency coordination.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing: SF's HSH is a city-level department that administers homelessness funding, manages Coordinated Entry, and operates HMIS for the city. It shares KCRHA's coordinating and funding-administration functions but at single-jurisdiction scale rather than regional, and is embedded in municipal government rather than independent.
• New York City Department of Homeless Services: NYC DHS is a municipal agency that runs the largest direct-service homelessness operation in the US, including shelter operations, prevention programs, and outreach. While not a regional authority model, it shares KCRHA's coordinating, funding-administration, and data-tracking functions at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KingCoRHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/KingCoRHA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kcrha
• Instagraminstagram.com/kingcoRHA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about King County Regional Homelessness Authority