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.”