KC Council: Zahilay forms committee for housing, unhoused crisis funding
Published 8:53 am Wednesday, July 29, 2026
The King County Executive Girmay Zahilay has formed a steering committee of local leaders to explore funding options to address the region’s housing and homelessness crisis.
As a part of the Breaking the Cycle Executive Order announced in March, the new committee will evaluate the possibility of a new revenue source to support the building, siting, preservation, maintenance, and operations of emergency shelter and affordable housing in King County. One potential option could be the first-ever countywide housing levy.
“Everyone in King County deserves a safe, affordable place to call home,” Zahilay said. “With the federal government threatening to disinvest from evidence-based solutions like permanent supportive housing that keep thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors housed, it is more important than ever that we have sustainable local funding sources for housing. This committee will explore how we can make a generational investment in affordable housing throughout our region while also recognizing the tax sensitivity that many residents are experiencing right now. Our goal is to strike a balance between the urgent need to expand affordable housing and ensure we are not overburdening taxpayers.”
The committee consists of representatives from local and state government, affordable housing, non-profit organizations, labor, and business sectors. The list includes Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, Redmond Mayor Angela Birney, King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and Washington State Senator Emily Alvarado. The executive’s press release said the committee will regularly engage with service providers, private sector partners, philanthropy, and regional leadership “to ensure that any proposal reflects a diverse array of perspectives throughout the county.”
The Breaking the Cycle Initiative is focused on expanding affordable housing and shelter opportunities throughout the region, improving coordination between housing, health and criminal legal systems, exploring dedicated revenue sources for the development of new affordable housing, and integrating data and performance metrics to identify gaps and measure success.
The executive order will also open 500 units of of emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, and subsidized affordable housing in 500 days and activate underutilized county-owned properties for emergency shelter or other housing.
“We need to end the cycle of crisis that sends vulnerable neighbors repeatedly through emergency rooms, jails, shelters, and back onto the streets without finding stability or recovery,” Zahilay said in March. “This Executive Order will take concrete steps to align partners, actions, and funding across the continuum to help more people rebuild their lives and create healthier, safer communities across King County.”
