Dec. 31, 2025 — Redmond, Wash. Redmond and Bellevue have entered a new agreement with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) to manage severe weather funding, data sharing, and shelter capacity for East King County, potentially impacting local emergency shelter access during cold snaps and storms, according to a recent Patch newsletter.
The pact, announced in July 2025, provides a combined $45,000 from the two cities earmarked specifically for severe weather services east of Lake Washington, as detailed in a Seattle Times report. These funds support activation of temporary shelters during extreme temperatures or unusual weather events, operating in shared or overflow spaces.
“We are proud that KCRHA’s leadership in severe weather emergency response is being recognized as a valuable improvement to our emergency homelessness system. We look forward to working with more cities in the coming months and further unifying the regional homelessness response.”
KCRHA stated in its 2025 Year in Review, highlighting the agreement as building on partnerships with North King County cities.
Bellevue spokesperson Michelle DeGrand described the funding as “not providing funding to [KCRHA] for their broader work in the region. This is a specific [Interlocal agreement] for them to use funds in our community to support severe weather services here specifically, but still do it in an efficient and regionally coordinated way.”
Redmond’s involvement ties into its 2025-2026 budget, which allocates $50,000 for a severe weather shelter pilot response. The city lists Contract 11008 with King County for homeless services during severe weather events among its active interlocal agreements.
Shelter funding contracts, including severe weather services extending to 2050, were discussed at a Redmond City Council Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 16, 2025.
KCRHA’s prior winter weather activations included beds at sites like Sophia’s Place in Bellevue, demonstrating ongoing regional efforts. The authority also launched a standing Request for Qualifications process in 2025 to expedite shelter openings, adding over 100 beds in Seattle late last year.
No recent announcements appear on Redmond.gov news or agendas as of early 2026, indicating the pact operates primarily through regional KCRHA coordination.
