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Dear Friends and Neighbors:
The past few weeks have been busy at the King County Council as my colleagues and I consider the Executive’s proposed 2021-2022 biennial budget. One of the proposed items was a 0.1% sales tax increase to fund permanent housing for the chronically homeless. Though the King County Council voted to enact it last week, I voted against it. Let me explain why.
I’m concerned that this tax increase will allow the County to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to fund ineffective homeless policies without regional collaboration. We shouldn't simply throw more money at a growing problem without also examining our strategy. This is not responsible —especially during a pandemic as families and businesses struggle financially.
I believe that in order to make progress on homelessness, King County leaders should work with suburban cities to get their buy-in on homelessness strategies. Ultimately, though the sales tax increase was enacted, many cities within King County chose to circumvent the County’s effort by enacting their own tax increase to fund their own strategies on homelessness and housing affordability. To be successful, County leadership needs to try harder to bring all of our region's partners together.
As our region’s economy is rocked by the effects of the coronavirus, I remain committed to helping those experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet without increasing taxes. As the King County Regional Homelessness Authority gains its footing, I will continue to work to bring suburban cities to the table for solutions that work for all of King County.
Sincerely,
Reagan Dunn
Vice Chair
Metropolitan King County Council
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Dunn Delivers Check to Vine Maple Place
 Councilmember Dunn with Vine Maple Place Executive Director Michelle Frets, Housing Stability Director Kyle Serquinia, and Housing Stability Manager Jeremy Adams.
Vine Maple Place's work providing stable housing and other wraparound services that help struggling families get back on their feet is more critical than ever during the ongoing pandemic. 93% of the adults they serve are single mothers and 66% of who they serve are children. More than 70% have experienced or witnessed domestic violence.
I'm glad to be able to help provide a grant to support Vine Maple Place's mission to break the cycle of generational homelessness in South King County.
Dunn Supports Investments in Affordable Housing in the Sunset Area of Renton
 Councilmember Reagan Dunn with Renton Housing Authority Executive Director Mark Gropper, Real Estate Development Director Eric Pravitz of Homestead Community Land Trust, and Homestead Community Trust Executive Director Kathleen Hosfeld.
I recently visited the Willowcrest Townhomes building site and was able to see the progress made on constructing these beautiful, energy-efficient, and affordable homes in the Sunset Area of Renton. I'm proud to be able to help provide funding for this important project and can't wait to see the final results!
Dunn’s Request for Study on COVID-19 Response Approved by King County Council
I'm glad to report that the King County Council unanimously approved legislation I sponsored that directs King County to partner with the University of Washington to study the effectiveness of the COVID-19 response in King County.
The COVID-19 pandemic is among the most significant viral outbreaks this generation has experienced. Given that this is new territory for all of us, we should arm ourselves with empirical information on what is effective in battling a pandemic. This study will enable us to do that.
The report would look at key aspects of the pandemic and how the actions taken by King County leaders and Public Health – Seattle and King County affected the spread of the virus.
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