Harrell Asks Embattled Homelessness Authority to Come Up With Budget Cuts

Also, more details on the process for choosing KCRHA's latest interim director.

By Erica C. Barnett

Mayor Bruce Harrell has reportedly asked the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to come up with budget cuts of between 2 and 5 percent; the city has the authority to do this because the KCRHA receives more than half its funding from the city. The request is a sign that the city's budget crunch will directly impact the homelessness authority's ability to expand or maintain the work its contractors do to address homelessness in the region.

It's also more evidence, for those who are looking for it, of Harrell's disillusionment with the agency, which has gone through tremendous upheaval (and a number of unsuccessful, high-profile initiatives) in its first two years. Harrell has repeatedly expressed skepticism about the KCRHA's approach, ranging from the agency's efforts, under former CEO Marc Dones, to invest in new approaches like medical facilities for people with significant needs and single-family group homes for people exiting homelessness, to the size of the KCRHA's budget itself, which Harrell has declined, even in good budget years, to significantly increase.

Harrell's office would not specifically confirm the request for KCRHA to come up with cuts, but spokesman Jamie Housen said that "[g]iven the 2025 forecasted budget deficit facing the City, we are evaluating all options to drive efficiencies, optimize investments, and prioritize the needs of residents."

According to multiple accounts, Harrell chose the KCRHA's new interim director, L. Darrell Powell, without much direct input from the KCRHA or King County, which provides nearly half the agency's budget. Powell—a former financial director at the YMCA of Greater Seattle, United Way of King County, and the College Success Foundation—was Harrell's teammate on the Garfield High School football team and more recently served on his mayoral transition team and fentanyl task force.

At a recent press conference announcing the new CARE Team, Harrell jokingly praised the "proud pop," who was among the assembled supporters, for being the father of starting Husky cornerback Mishael Powell, who "won the Husky game singlehandedly" the previous week.

Housen said Powell's "name came out of a meeting with the mayor and several members of the Mayor’s Office where multiple names were discussed and considered. I do not know if it was the mayor who first originated his name, but he certainly agreed with the suggestion."

King County Executive Dow Constantine said he learned about the selection of Powell from Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock, who "brought this name to me and told me about his qualifications and background. ... I did not talk directly with the city, but others did, and understood that the supports him, that the mayor knows him, and he sounded like a person who would be able to bring some good qualities to this still interim role, and hopefully gaining the confidence of the various parties [involved in] KCRHA, including the city of Seattle."

The KCRHA has hired a search firm that ordinarily does executive searches for regional nonprofits to identify candidates for the permanent CEO position. As we reported, the search has been going slowly; the search firm, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, just finalized a job description for the position last month.