Good afternoon team, 

This morning, I hosted a press conference to announce a new Executive Order to address the interconnected crises of homelessness, substance use disorder, untreated behavioral health needs, and repeated involvement in the criminal legal system impacting the health and safety of communities throughout King County. 

Breaking the cycles of homelessness, behavioral health needs, addiction, repeated legal system involvement are distinct and deeply intertwined activities. We cannot address the full scope of the homelessness crisis without addressing behavioral health and addiction. And we cannot effectively do any of that without bringing people inside and staying inside while they receive the supports they need to recover and re-enter our community. Too often, people navigating these challenges encounter systems that respond in isolation rather than together. I know we can do better on this forward as neighbors, community members and as a government to truly break this cycle. 

Today, I announced a series of actions that were directly informed by final recommendations from my transition team, which included a diverse coalition of local elected officials and leaders in housing, human services, labor, philanthropy, and more. Read more.