Addressing Homelessness with HART

Addressing Homelessness with HART

Published on November 05, 2026

All across the region, homelessness continues to grow. King County data shows that thousands of people are entering homelessness for the first time each year. We're seeing it here in Kirkland as well. Local engagement demonstrates that our community members are worried about the issue now and the possibility of it worsening in the near future.

The City of Kirkland remains committed to addressing homelessness, and those in Kirkland who are experiencing homelessness are members of our community.

The Kirkland City Council adopted the Homelessness Continuum of Care Action Plan in December 2025 as a multidisciplinary approach to the issue. Homelessness prevention is at the core of this plan. By addressing housing availability and affordability, the City is supporting options to prevent people from falling into homeless in the first place.

The plan also prioritizes meeting basic human needs, including helping people navigate a path to stable housing. Creating the Homelessness Assistance and Response Team (HART) has allowed the City to respond to the complexities of homelessness in a coordinated, creative, compassionate, and holistic way. The team consists of staff members from across departments who provide outreach and assistance that addresses the variety of needs of people experiencing homelessness and those of the larger community. Teams that contribute to HART include Human Services, Park Rangers and Maintenance, Kirkland Police Neighborhood Resource Officers, Kirkland Fire - Mobile Integrated Health, Streets and Grounds, Community Court, Probation, Jail Navigation, and Code Enforcement. Other collaborators include the Regional Crisis Response (RCR) Agency and the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center.

HART's work is complex and often time-intensive. Unhoused community members have unique circumstances and challenges to getting back into stable housing. To be effective, HART members must build rapport and trust with each individual to address their specific barriers. Regular coordination across HART is needed, and it includes reaching out to local nonprofit and regional partners and resources.

The City's approach to homelessness aims to be balanced and person-centered. It considers the varied interests of everyone in Kirkland - housed and unhoused - with compassion. We want Kirkland to remain safe, welcoming, and economically vibrant, and we want our community members to be able to thrive. Our goal is to make homelessness in Kirkland rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Learn more about HART.