King County – Today, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced the steering committee for the housing revenue workgroup, a cross-sector group charged with exploring dedicated funding to address the region’s housing and homelessness crisis. The committee held its first meeting earlier this month.
Established through the Breaking the Cycle Executive Order, the steering committee will evaluate the feasibility of a new revenue source to support the building, siting, preservation, maintenance, and operations of emergency shelter and affordable housing in King County, including the potential for the first-ever countywide housing levy.
The committee will regularly engage with service providers as well as private sector partners, philanthropy, and regional leadership to ensure that any proposal reflects a diverse array of perspectives throughout the county.
“Everyone in King County deserves a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Executive Zahilay. “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, bringing together diverse voices to advise on the future of housing funding in King County.
Members of the steering committee include:
Senator Emily Alvarado, 34th Legislative District
Mayor Nancy Backus, City of Auburn
Mayor Angela Birney, City of Redmond
Jane Broom Davidson, Senior Director, Microsoft Philanthropies
Alison Eisinger, Executive Director, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness
Councilmember Dionne Foster, Seattle City Council
Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, MLK Labor
Adam Glickman, Secretary-Treasurer, SEIU 775
Representative Nicole Macri, 43rd Legislative District
Patience Malaba, Executive Director, Housing Development Consortium
Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, King County Council
Joe Nguyen, President and CEO, Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Dorsol Plants, Program Coordinator, South King Housing and Homelessness Partners
Jon Scholes, President and CEO, Downtown Seattle Association
Nicole Vallestero Soper, Director of Policy and Innovation, Office of Mayor Katie B. Wilson
The Breaking the Cycle Executive Order also created a separate workgroup made up of leaders from the County’s housing, health, and criminal legal system as well as community partners to improve systems coordination and create better outcomes. That workgroup will issue a report to the Executive by November 30, 2026.