King County

Issues with high vacancies, rising operating costs, and federal funding cuts are hitting affordable housing providers hard. The Seattle Office of Housing has stemmed the bleeding with operating support, but broader fixes are needed.

Rhonda Lewis, who served as King County's chief of operations before becoming Zahilay's chief of staff, has pledged to serve as a caretaker and not run for election next fall.

State Senator Rebecca Saldaña announced a bid for the open King County Council District 2 seat in the 2026 election, positioning herself in the progressive lane and pledging to fight back against Trump attacks and defend the working class.

Taking office as the first new Executive that King County has elected since 2009, Zahilay pledged to bring groups together to tackle the county's problems. He's also carrying out a major shakeup in County government, ousting many longtime staffers.

In announcing his 100-person transition team, King County Executive-elect Girmay Zahilay put housing issues front-and-center. He faces a short runway as the first new leader elected at the county level since 2009, and will take office on November 25.

King County Executive Shannon Braddock has proposed a series of changes to one of the county’s pre-filing youth diversion programs, currently called Restorative Community Pathways, replacing the community-led program with a county-led program with a slashed budget.

The idea of using King County's uptapped bonding capacity to unlock dollars for affordable housing seemed like a promising new area for exploration. But a report dropped on the county council's doorstep this summer outlined some major obstacles and the need for a new dedicated revenue source to back the bonds.

King County is capping school impact fees on multifamily projects, hoping to lessen the burden on homebuilders. The move sparked a debate on how to help overcapacity school districts while avoid undue burdens on builders.