We Are In, the campaign to solve homelessness in King County, celebrated today the announcement that Marc Dones will become the inaugural CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA).

We Are In and its numerous partners strongly supported the creation of the KCRHA in late 2019, and intend to work closely with the new agency, King County, the City of Seattle, and the Sound Cities Association on the long- and short-term plans to solve homelessness and build more affordable homes.

Founded around the same time as the KCRHA, We Are In is a coalition of nonprofits, philanthropies, businesses, the faith community, and people with personal experience of homelessness that will serve as an external advocate and partner to the KCRHA and other levels of government.

Statement from We Are In:

“Marc Dones is intimately familiar with the challenges of ending homelessness, both across the country and in our region. As the architect of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, they are perfectly positioned to be its first-ever leader. Marc’s national expertise, and local familiarity, are sorely needed and immensely welcome as we unite to face our community challenges of homelessness, an historic housing shortage, and the intertwined issues of racial and LGBTQ+ disproportionality. We Are In is thrilled to get to work on collaborating with Marc and the Regional Authority, King County, and the city of Seattle in the months and years to come.”

In 2020, many of We Are In’s partners released the Regional Action Framework, a roadmap forward for solving homelessness in our region. Read the Regional Action Framework here.

We Are In, the campaign to solve homelessness in King County, celebrated today the hiring announcement of Regina Cannon as the inaugural CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA).

We Are In and its numerous partners strongly supported the creation of the KCRHA in late 2019, and intend to work closely with the new agency, King County, the City of Seattle, and the Sound Cities Association on the long- and short-term plans to solve homelessness and build more affordable homes.

Founded around the same time as the KCRHA, We Are In is a coalition of nonprofits, philanthropies, businesses, the faith community, and people with personal experience of homelessness that will serve as an external advocate and partner to the KCRHA and other levels of government.

Statement from We Are In:

“Regina Cannon is a nationally respected leader in the fight to end homelessness, and her experience will be a significant benefit to the effort here in King County. Regina’s deep expertise on anti-poverty initiatives and the racial disproportionality of homelessness and housing instability will center equity as we seek to create communities where everyone can have safe and stable housing. We stand ready to collaborate with Regina Cannon and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority on the most important long-term issue facing our region.”

In 2020, many of We Are In’s partners released the Regional Action Framework, a roadmap forward for solving homelessness in our region. Read the Regional Action Framework here.

As Seattle Council continues to explore long-term and sustainable changes to Seattle Police Department’s funding in ways that make sense for local communities, here’s a look at how policing budgets in King County can be better spent.

We ask the police to take on too much.

911 calls commonly involve responding to homelessness – often from someone in crisis or in need of mental health support.

Across the country, people experiencing homelessness average more than 20 interactions with police over a 6 month period. The problem? Police aren’t equipped to help people who are in a behavioral health crisis.

Instead, once they arrive, the police call mental health professionals who are trained in de-escalation and crisis management. The end result? A wasteful and inefficient process that doesn’t work for anyone.

The good news is, we don’t have to look far for real solutions – they’re already in our own backyard. Seattle Police Department often calls DESC’s Mobile Crisis Team, which travels to the individual & provides the specific services they need.

Providing these kinds of services shouldn’t require a police referral. By reallocating some of our police budget to these outreach agencies, we can empower them to reach more people with the services they need. We all stand to benefit when homelessness response and outreach is put in the hands of trained professionals. This means:

👮Police are able to focus on crime
🙍People in crisis are met with help and compassion
💰Costs are lower for everyone

A better system for all is possible, but we can only get there if our budgets and priorities reflect our values.

How you can support our neighbors experiencing homelessness

We understand that the outbreak and precautionary measures around COVID-19 have made this a very uneasy and difficult time for our community.

It is a particularly tough time for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, who are especially vulnerable to contagious illnesses like COVID-19. Homelessness is already hard on a person’s health, but adding another illness makes it even harder, especially without ready access to health care or a safe space to stay while they’re sick.

We’re grateful to our city and county workers and service providers who are coordinating efforts and working tirelessly to slow the spread of COVID-19 by providing sheltered spaces, sanitation measures, and health services to keep everyone safe.

Want to know what you can do? Here are a few ways to help keep our community safe and healthy:

• Stay updated and respect the precautions and guidelines laid out by officials. This will help prevent the spread of the virus and make sure those most vulnerable can access health care services. Learn more about the personal precautions you should take at the King County Department of Public Health COVID-19 page.
• Donate to the COVID-19 Response Fund, a partnership of philanthropic, government and business partners, that will deploy resources to improve response efforts in communities disproportionately impacted.
• Check out this article from Seattle MET on other ways you can help – like donating goods to shelters and ways you can limit your personal activity in smart ways.
• Visit our We Are In partners page here. Many of our partners are service providers who are working hard to aid our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. Visit their websites to find out more about what they need and how you can help.
• Spread the word! Share this post to your networks, friends, and families so that together, we can keep our community – especially those most vulnerable – safe.

From all of us at We Are In, we wish you a happy and healthy year ahead.

Along with the new year, January has also brought some extremely cold weather, and incredibly difficult conditions for our unsheltered and unhoused neighbors. The longer we wait to take action, the more our neighbors are in the cold, at great personal risk.

That’s why We Are In is ready to act on innovative, regional solutions to homelessness in King County, and to boost the important work happening on the ground every day. Thank you for joining us.

2019 ended with both Seattle City and King County Councils committing to create the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, which will unite our region’s efforts under one roof for the first time ever. This is a critical first step in coordinating our response systems and the successful programs we see working on the ground everyday.

However, there’s more work to do to make sure the voices of experts, nonprofits, service providers and those who have experienced homelessness are at the center of solutions. We Are In’s partners will be working alongside government leaders this year to identify the next steps for our region to prevent and solve homelessness.

Learn more about the Regional Homelessness Authority in this article from the Seattle Times , and read We Are In’s statement on the vote here.

What you can do to help our neighbors experiencing homelessness in Seattle and King County

We’re thrilled you’re “in” for smart, regional solutions to ending homelessness in King County. If you’re looking for more ways to get involved, here are some things to look out for:

Volunteer your time

Join the annual Point In Time count in the early morning of January 24 to collect data on the needs of people experiencing homelessness in King County. Counts like this are crucial for service providers, and help raise awareness in the community to spark action.

As a volunteer, you’ll drive or walk a pre-assigned route with your team, and training will be provided. Encourage your family, friends and neighbors to join too!

Spread the word

United Way King County is holding a Resource Exchange in Renton on MLK Day, January 20, and they need help spreading the word. You can help by tweeting or posting on Facebook:

Free resources for families experiencing homelessness at @UnitedWayKC’s Resource Exchange at Lindbergh High School, 10am-2pm on January 20. Housing resources, legal and financial advice, job opportunities, meals, and more. Help spread the word!

Share our video

Watch and share our video on why a regional approach is needed for King County. Share with your networks and encourage them to say ‘We Are In’ by joining us.

We Are In partners acknowledge the vote as an important first step, urges prioritization of frontline voices

On Monday, December 16, the Seattle City Council, following a King County Council vote, voted 5-1 to create a regional homelessness authority, the culmination of year-long efforts to coordinate and consolidate countywide response systems to homelessness. The We Are In campaign – comprised of service providers, nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, businesses, and people who have experienced homelessness – released the following statement:

“The vote to create the King County Regional Homelessness Authority is a critical first step to reducing homelessness in King County. By coordinating our response systems and the successful programs we see working on the ground everyday, we can build a transformational system that can effectively respond to this issue in all of our communities. We are encouraged to see our city and county leaders move the Authority forward as a statement of intent to take real action towards ending homelessness.

There will be more work to do to ensure that the voices of experts, not politicians, are at the center of solutions under the Authority. As we enter winter in the Pacific Northwest, let’s remember that this is about the lives of unsheltered people. Service providers, nonprofits, and those who have experienced homelessness remain crucial to making effective solutions a reality. We will champion experts and service providers as they inform and apply proven solutions under the banner of the Regional Homelessness Authority.”