Seattle homelessness chief quits as city and county reclaim service contracts

Kelly Kinnison has resigned as chief executive of Seattle’s regional homelessness authority, becoming its fifth departing CEO in a few years. Her exit comes as Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and King County Executive Girmay Zahilay plan to take back most homelessness service contracts after financial problems and operational disputes, substantially reducing the agency’s role.

An audit found overspending and poor accounting, and the authority is believed to have spent nearly $17 million on administrative costs it cannot recover. Created in 2019, it will remain responsible for coordinating federal grant applications, monitoring system performance and arranging emergency help during severe weather; grants it administers typically total about $65 million a year. Kinnison, who took the role in 2024, said she helped identify structural problems in the finance department.