The short version

Claim we investigated

King County and Seattle don't publish how many residents die at each supportive housing building or provider they fund.

True. King County counts supportive housing deaths only countywide; no agency report we checked gives them by building or provider. County death reports give only countywide totals for a broad group of housing. None of the county, city or regional homelessness agency reports we checked break deaths down by building or provider.

Quote or cite this fact-check
FactHub rates the claim “King County and Seattle don't publish how many residents die at each supportive housing building or provider they fund” True (high confidence): King County counts supportive housing deaths only countywide; no agency report we checked gives them by building or provider. Reviewed November 8, 2026. https://facthub.org/n/article/king-county-housing-deaths-not-published/7

Key points

What the evidence establishes

  • Established. None of the county, city or regional homelessness agency reports we checked give deaths by building or provider.
  • Context. In 2025 the Medical Examiner counted 379 deaths it investigated in subsidized housing countywide, including 164 natural deaths.
  • Established. That group, which it calls housing service sites, mixes supportive housing with other low-income and recovery housing, and it doesn't investigate all natural deaths.
  • Established. The county's overdose reviews report supportive housing alone, such as 225 overdose deaths in 2024, but only as countywide totals.
  • Established. The homelessness authority, the city-county agency that funds providers, requires them to report unexpected deaths on site within 24 to 48 hours, but it publishes no totals.
  • Established. Once, in 2024, a Seattle audit counted overdose deaths on one downtown block: 10 of 11 were in or outside three supportive housing buildings.
Important context: The housing in question is mainly permanent supportive housing: apartments with on-site help, such as case managers, for people who were homeless and often disabled. King County, the City of Seattle and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), a joint city-county agency, pay nonprofits to run it. In Seattle, the Office of Housing pays to build these buildings and helps pay their running costs, and the Human Services Department (HSD) sends most of the city's homelessness money through KCRHA. We checked what each body publishes about residents who die, and what the Medical Examiner, the county office that investigates sudden or unexplained deaths, reports. The broader complaint is that the public can't tell how many residents die at all. We rate the narrower building-or-provider version because the county does publish countywide totals, given below.

The evidence

The conclusion rests on the combined record. Expand each item to see its role and limitations.

Independence note: This check uses 6 methods across 12 institutions and 1 country or international grouping.
Evidence map
Method Institution / country Year(s) What it shows Key limitation Primary links
Review of the Medical Examiner's public dashboard of deaths it investigated, filtered to housing service sites, with its notes; its overdose methods report; its 2024 and 2025 Overdose Fatality Review reports; and its report on homeless deaths King County Medical Examiner's Office, Public Health - Seattle & King County United States 2024, 2025, 2026 The Medical Examiner's public dashboard sorts the deaths it investigates by where the person lived. Its housing service site group mixes permanent supportive housing with income-restricted apartments and recovery housing. In 2025 it counted 379 deaths there: 200 accidental deaths other than traffic, 164 natural deaths, 8 suicides, 3 homicides, 3 traffic deaths and 1 undetermined. Since 2024 the county's overdose review has also reported supportive housing alone: 225 overdose deaths in 2024, and about 16 a month from January 2024 to September 2025. All of these are countywide totals, with no breakdown by building or provider. These counts cover only deaths the Medical Examiner investigates, about 1 in 5 deaths in the county, and it does not take all natural deaths, so deaths from illness are undercounted. The housing group is broader than supportive housing, and neither source gives a count of residents, so no death rate can be computed. King County Medical Examiner's Office Public Health - Seattle & King County King County Overdose Fatality Review King County Overdose Fatality Review Public Health - Seattle & King County
Review of the homelessness authority's federal performance report and its current System Performance dashboard definitions, the county's Health Through Housing dashboard appendix, and the federal programming rules behind the federal report King County Regional Homelessness Authority, King County Department of Community and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development United States 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 The homelessness authority's federal report says 96% of people in permanent housing stayed housed or moved to other permanent housing in the 2022 and 2023 budget years. Under HUD's rules for that measure, residents whose exit reason is Deceased are dropped entirely. The authority's own dashboard reports the share of households who stay or move to permanent housing, with no measure of deaths. The county's Health Through Housing program reports 91% to 97% for its supportive housing sites. None of these give a count of residents who died. Retention rates are meant to measure housing stability, not health. We could not confirm how the county's Health Through Housing appendix treats deaths, because it does not say. King County Regional Homelessness Authority King County Regional Homelessness Authority King County Department of Community and Human Services U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Review of the Seattle Office of Housing's 2024 and 2025 Annual Investments and Housing Levy Reports and 2024 Community Report, the Human Services Department's 2024 Annual Report, and the City Auditor's July 2024 overdose and crime audit Seattle Office of Housing, Seattle Human Services Department, Seattle Office of City Auditor United States 2024, 2025, 2026 Seattle's Office of Housing reports more than 5,700 supportive homes and pays yearly operating subsidies to buildings it helped build. Its yearly levy reports count apartments, dollars, and the wages of 936 front-line supportive housing staff in 2025, but no residents who died. The Human Services Department says the homelessness authority uses city money for shelter, rapid rehousing and transitional housing, and its 2024 report gives no death counts. The one exception is a 2024 City Auditor study of one downtown block: 10 of 11 overdose deaths there in a year were in or outside three supportive housing buildings, with no split by building. We searched these reports for deaths, died and deceased and read their supportive housing sections; a missing number is our reading, not a statement by the city. The audit counted overdose deaths on or near three buildings, not deaths of residents, and did it once. We did not check 911 or fire dispatch records. Seattle Office of Housing Seattle Office of Housing Seattle Human Services Department Seattle Office of City Auditor
Review of the homelessness authority's critical incident reporting policy King County Regional Homelessness Authority United States 2023 The authority requires every program it funds to report any unexpected death on site or nearby within 24 to 48 hours. The policy says the reports help the authority stay accountable to its funders. It has no step for publishing totals, and we found no public summary of these reports. An absence of public totals is hard to prove; the authority may share them on request. The policy covers only programs the authority funds and only deaths on or near the site, and it does not record cause of death. King County Regional Homelessness Authority
Review of the King County Council's legislative record for Motion 2023-0116 and title searches of later county and Seattle legislation Metropolitan King County Council United States 2023, 2024 In March 2023, Councilmember Reagan Dunn introduced a motion asking the county executive for a report on overdoses in county-funded housing and shelters, due January 1, 2024. It also asked whether those deaths could be added to the county's overdose dashboard. The record shows no committee hearing or vote; the motion lapsed on February 1, 2024. We found no later county or Seattle law or budget rule requiring such a report. The motion asked about overdoses only, not all deaths. Our search of later legislation was by title, and we did not read every budget ordinance in full. Metropolitan King County Council
Review of overdose and homeless-death reporting by San Francisco's and New York City's health departments, and news coverage of San Francisco's oversight debate San Francisco Department of Public Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, The San Francisco Standard United States 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 San Francisco's health department has given a single share: 26% of overdose deaths in 2024 were in supportive housing. New York's health department says about 10% of 2023 overdose deaths were in supportive housing and single-room hotels combined. New York's yearly report on homeless deaths leaves out people placed in permanent housing. In August 2026, San Francisco's mayor rejected a grand jury's call for quarterly reports built from serious incident records. We checked a few large cities, not every city, and found no regular building-level reporting in any. A missing report elsewhere does not make the gap in King County smaller. San Francisco Department of Public Health The San Francisco Standard New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
1. The Medical Examiner publishes countywide counts only Review of the Medical Examiner's public dashboard of deaths it investigated, filtered to housing service sites, with its notes; its overdose methods report; its 2024 and 2025 Overdose Fatality Review reports; and its report on homeless deaths

The Medical Examiner's public dashboard sorts the deaths it investigates by where the person lived. Its housing service site group mixes permanent supportive housing with income-restricted apartments and recovery housing. In 2025 it counted 379 deaths there: 200 accidental deaths other than traffic, 164 natural deaths, 8 suicides, 3 homicides, 3 traffic deaths and 1 undetermined. Since 2024 the county's overdose review has also reported supportive housing alone: 225 overdose deaths in 2024, and about 16 a month from January 2024 to September 2025. All of these are countywide totals, with no breakdown by building or provider.

Limit: These counts cover only deaths the Medical Examiner investigates, about 1 in 5 deaths in the county, and it does not take all natural deaths, so deaths from illness are undercounted. The housing group is broader than supportive housing, and neither source gives a count of residents, so no death rate can be computed.

Verify: KCMEO Annual Report dashboard: Characteristics of Deaths Investigated by KCMEO (last updated October 29, 2026) Methods Report: Documentation and Analysis of Fatal Overdose Data King County Overdose Fatality Review 2024 Report King County Overdose Fatality Review 2025 Report Report on Deaths Among Presumed Homeless Individuals Investigated by the King County Medical Examiner, 2012-2021

King County counted 379 deaths at subsidized housing sites in 2025, countywide onlyDeaths the King County Medical Examiner investigated in 2025 among people living at housing service sites (supportive, income-restricted and recovery housing), by manner of death. The county publishes this only as a countywide total, with no count by building or provider.King County counted 379 deaths at subsidized housing sites in 2025, countywideonlyDeaths investigated, 2025facthub.org/n/chart/kcme-housing-site-deaths-2025Source: King County Medical Examiner's Office dashboard, read November 7, 2026Note: Only deaths the Medical Examiner investigated, about 1 in 5 county deaths; natural deaths are undercounted.Accident (not traffic)200Natural164Suicide8Homicide3Traffic3Undetermined1
King County counted 379 deaths at subsidized housing sites in 2025, countywide onlyDeaths the King County Medical Examiner investigated in 2025 among people living at housing service sites (supportive, income-restricted and recovery housing), by manner of death. The county publishes this only as a countywide total, with no count by building or provider.King County counted 379 deaths atsubsidized housing sites in 2025,countywide onlyDeaths investigated, 20257, 2026Source: King County Medical Examiner's Office dashboard, read Novembercounty deaths; natural deaths are undercounted.Note: Only deaths the Medical Examiner investigated, about 1 in 5Accident (not traffic)200Natural164Suicide8Homicide3Traffic3Undetermined1
The county's most complete public count: 379 deaths the Medical Examiner investigated in 2025 among people living at housing service sites, a group that mixes supportive, income-restricted and recovery housing. It is a countywide total; no count by building or provider is published, and natural deaths are undercounted. Source: King County Medical Examiner's Office dashboard. View source chart
2. Housing performance reports don't show deaths Review of the homelessness authority's federal performance report and its current System Performance dashboard definitions, the county's Health Through Housing dashboard appendix, and the federal programming rules behind the federal report

The homelessness authority's federal report says 96% of people in permanent housing stayed housed or moved to other permanent housing in the 2022 and 2023 budget years. Under HUD's rules for that measure, residents whose exit reason is Deceased are dropped entirely. The authority's own dashboard reports the share of households who stay or move to permanent housing, with no measure of deaths. The county's Health Through Housing program reports 91% to 97% for its supportive housing sites. None of these give a count of residents who died.

Limit: Retention rates are meant to measure housing stability, not health. We could not confirm how the county's Health Through Housing appendix treats deaths, because it does not say.

Verify: System Performance Measures Overview (April 2, 2025) System Performance Health Through Housing 2025 Dashboard: Data Table Appendix (June 2026) System Performance Measures HMIS Programming Specifications, Version 1.0 (October 2025)

3. Seattle's own reports count homes and dollars, not deaths Review of the Seattle Office of Housing's 2024 and 2025 Annual Investments and Housing Levy Reports and 2024 Community Report, the Human Services Department's 2024 Annual Report, and the City Auditor's July 2024 overdose and crime audit

Seattle's Office of Housing reports more than 5,700 supportive homes and pays yearly operating subsidies to buildings it helped build. Its yearly levy reports count apartments, dollars, and the wages of 936 front-line supportive housing staff in 2025, but no residents who died. The Human Services Department says the homelessness authority uses city money for shelter, rapid rehousing and transitional housing, and its 2024 report gives no death counts. The one exception is a 2024 City Auditor study of one downtown block: 10 of 11 overdose deaths there in a year were in or outside three supportive housing buildings, with no split by building.

Limit: We searched these reports for deaths, died and deceased and read their supportive housing sections; a missing number is our reading, not a statement by the city. The audit counted overdose deaths on or near three buildings, not deaths of residents, and did it once. We did not check 911 or fire dispatch records.

Verify: Office of Housing Community Report 2024 2025 Annual Investments and Housing Levy Report (June 2026) HSD 2024 Annual Report Addressing Places in Seattle Where Overdoses and Crime are Concentrated: An Evidence-Based Approach (July 9, 2024)

4. Deaths are reported to the homelessness authority but not published Review of the homelessness authority's critical incident reporting policy

The authority requires every program it funds to report any unexpected death on site or nearby within 24 to 48 hours. The policy says the reports help the authority stay accountable to its funders. It has no step for publishing totals, and we found no public summary of these reports.

Limit: An absence of public totals is hard to prove; the authority may share them on request. The policy covers only programs the authority funds and only deaths on or near the site, and it does not record cause of death.

Verify: Critical Incident Reporting Policy and Template

5. A council request for a report lapsed without a hearing Review of the King County Council's legislative record for Motion 2023-0116 and title searches of later county and Seattle legislation

In March 2023, Councilmember Reagan Dunn introduced a motion asking the county executive for a report on overdoses in county-funded housing and shelters, due January 1, 2024. It also asked whether those deaths could be added to the county's overdose dashboard. The record shows no committee hearing or vote; the motion lapsed on February 1, 2024. We found no later county or Seattle law or budget rule requiring such a report.

Limit: The motion asked about overdoses only, not all deaths. Our search of later legislation was by title, and we did not read every budget ordinance in full.

Verify: Motion 2023-0116: report on fatal and nonfatal overdoses in county owned, operated or funded housing and homelessness facilities

6. Two other big cities publish no more than King County Review of overdose and homeless-death reporting by San Francisco's and New York City's health departments, and news coverage of San Francisco's oversight debate

San Francisco's health department has given a single share: 26% of overdose deaths in 2024 were in supportive housing. New York's health department says about 10% of 2023 overdose deaths were in supportive housing and single-room hotels combined. New York's yearly report on homeless deaths leaves out people placed in permanent housing. In August 2026, San Francisco's mayor rejected a grand jury's call for quarterly reports built from serious incident records.

Limit: We checked a few large cities, not every city, and found no regular building-level reporting in any. A missing report elsewhere does not make the gap in King County smaller.

Verify: Behavioral Health Commission Director's Update, September 18, 2025 Lurie rejects core reforms of homelessness oversight audit (August 24, 2026) Overdose Prevention: Recommendations for Supportive Housing Programs Twentieth Annual Report on Deaths Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness (2026)

Common questions 8

“Residents who die count against the 96% of supportive housing residents reported as staying housed.”

Short answer: No, they're left out

No: under the federal housing department's rules, residents who die are dropped from the 96% rate the homelessness authority reported for 2022 and 2023. Its data system records death as a reason people leave, but its public dashboard shows none. The county's Health Through Housing reports, 91% to 97%, give no count of residents who died either.

See the evidence: Housing performance reports don't show deaths

“Other big cities publish deaths in each of their supportive housing buildings.”

Short answer: Not the two we checked

Not the two we checked. San Francisco and New York publish only occasional citywide shares. In San Francisco, 26% of 2024 overdose deaths were in supportive housing. In New York, about 10% of 2023 overdose deaths were in supportive housing and single-room hotels combined. San Francisco's mayor rejected a grand jury's call for quarterly incident reports in 2026.

See the evidence: Two other big cities publish no more than King County

“The Medical Examiner publishes a count of deaths in this housing.”

Short answer: Yes, countywide only

Yes, but only countywide: 379 deaths it investigated in 2025 at what it calls housing service sites. That group also includes other low-income and recovery housing. It does not investigate all natural deaths, and it gives no numbers by building or provider.

See the evidence: The Medical Examiner publishes countywide counts only

“Residents are older and sicker, so death counts would unfairly blame the housing.”

Short answer: True, but

Supportive housing takes people who were homeless longest and are often disabled, so many deaths are expected. Without resident counts and ages, no one can tell whether a building's deaths are high or normal for its tenants.

“Publishing deaths would expose residents' private health information.”

Short answer: Not for totals

A count for one small building could point to a person. Yearly totals by provider or by type of housing would not: supportive housing alone had about 16 overdose deaths a month countywide, and the county already publishes that kind of total without naming anyone.

See the evidence: The Medical Examiner publishes countywide counts only

“The homelessness authority publishes totals of the deaths its funded programs must report to it.”

Short answer: No, we found none

No: programs it funds must report unexpected deaths on site or nearby within 24 to 48 hours, but we found no public totals from these reports. The policy says the reports help the authority stay accountable to its funders, and they don't record the cause of death.

See the evidence: Deaths are reported to the homelessness authority but not published

“Has Seattle ever published deaths at specific supportive housing buildings?”

Short answer: Once, for one block

Once, for one block: a 2024 city audit found 10 of 11 overdose deaths there in a year were in or outside three supportive housing buildings. It did not split them by building or say how many were residents. It was a one-time study, and it said the city could ask the county for its overdose death data.

See the evidence: Seattle's own reports count homes and dollars, not deaths

“Anyone can work out deaths at each building from public records.”

Short answer: Not from published data

Not from what is published. A 2024 city audit used Medical Examiner data to count overdose deaths near three buildings on one block, and said the city could request the county's overdose death data. Records requests might show more; we found no published counts by building.

See the evidence: Seattle's own reports count homes and dollars, not deaths

Conclusion

The claim is true. None of the county, city or homelessness authority reports we checked regularly publish how many residents die at each supportive housing building or provider.

The county does publish countywide counts. The Medical Examiner's dashboard shows 379 deaths it investigated in 2025 at what it calls housing service sites. They include 200 accidental deaths, 164 natural deaths, 8 suicides and 3 homicides. That group mixes supportive housing with other low-income and recovery housing. The Medical Examiner doesn't investigate all natural deaths, so deaths from illness are undercounted. Since 2024 the county's overdose review has also reported supportive housing alone, such as 225 overdose deaths in 2024. Neither gives a count of residents, so no death rate can be worked out.

The reports that show how many residents stay housed don't show deaths either. In the homelessness authority's federal report, residents who die are dropped from the rate under the federal housing department's rules. Providers must report on-site deaths to the authority within 24 to 48 hours, but it publishes no totals. A 2023 county council request for a report lapsed without a hearing. The one exception we found is a 2024 Seattle audit that counted overdose deaths on a single downtown block, once.

San Francisco and New York, the two other cities we checked, publish no more.

Our confidence is high because we checked where such numbers would most likely appear. That includes the Medical Examiner's dashboard and reports, the homelessness authority's dashboard and policies, the county's housing program reports, and Seattle's housing and human services reports. We did not check what the nonprofits that run the buildings publish themselves. Agencies may hold more than they publish; records requests could show it. What remains unknown is how many residents die, and whether some buildings or providers do worse than others.

How we checked
  1. We defined the claim as whether King County, Seattle or the homelessness authority they fund publish how many residents die at each supportive housing building or provider.
  2. We read the Medical Examiner's public dashboard of deaths it investigated, filtered to housing service sites, and its notes; its overdose methods report; its 2024 and 2025 Overdose Fatality Review reports; and its report on homeless deaths.
  3. We read the homelessness authority's current System Performance dashboard definitions, its federal performance report and critical incident policy, the county's Health Through Housing dashboard appendix, and HUD's rules for the retention measure, including its list of exit reasons.
  4. We read Seattle's own reports: the Office of Housing's 2024 and 2025 Annual Investments and Housing Levy Reports and its 2024 Community Report, the Human Services Department's 2024 Annual Report, and the City Auditor's 2024 audit of places where overdoses and crime are concentrated. We searched each for deaths of residents.
  5. We read the King County Council record for Motion 2023-0116 and searched county and Seattle legislation titles from 2022 to 2026 for later reporting requirements.
  6. We compared San Francisco's and New York City's published reporting; we did not check other cities.
  7. Where two records cover the same thing, we compared them: the Medical Examiner's dashboard against its overdose reviews, and the homelessness authority's dashboard and federal report against the federal housing department's rules.
  8. We searched the King County and Seattle open data catalogs for datasets on deaths and on supportive housing on November 8, 2026, and found none on deaths in housing.
  9. We did not check what the nonprofits that run the buildings publish, or 911 and fire dispatch records.
  10. We relied on each agency's own documents, and recorded the limits of each source beside the evidence it supports.

Editorial note: This check covers what King County (its Medical Examiner, public health department and housing department), Seattle (its Office of Housing, Human Services Department and City Auditor) and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority publish about deaths of residents in housing they fund, as of November 8, 2026. It does not cover what the nonprofits that run the buildings publish, estimate how many residents die, or rate any provider. Agencies may hold more data than they publish; records requests could show it. No external specialist review has been recorded.

Expert-review status

No external specialist review has been recorded.

Funding and conflicts

Funding: No external funding for this piece.

Ownership: Published by the FactHub Research Team.

Conflicts: None known.

Sources 20

Sources are labeled by kind, with what this fact check takes from each, so readers can check the evidence independently.

  1. FactHub record FactHub. Are more of King County's overdose deaths in subsidized housing?

    FactHub fact check of King County overdose deaths by where people lived, 2019 to 2026.

    • In 2026 so far, overdose deaths in subsidized and supportive housing held steady (162 to 163) while others fell about a quarter; the county publishes no resident count, so no death rate can be computed.

  2. Government Public Health - Seattle & King County. Methods Report: Documentation and Analysis of Fatal Overdose Data

    The county health department's description of how its overdose dashboard assigns categories, including where each person lived.

    Reliability: Written by the agency that publishes the overdose dashboard; it documents its own category definitions and their limits.

    • Qualifies: The Medical Examiner's housing service site group mixes permanent supportive housing with income-restricted apartments and recovery housing.

      What the source says
      Housing service site: This category includes permanent supportive housing, income-restricted units, recovery housing.
      Presumed Living Situation section
  3. Government King County Overdose Fatality Review. King County Overdose Fatality Review 2024 Report

    Annual report of the county's multi-agency review of overdose deaths, with a section on permanent supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Run by Public Health - Seattle & King County with partner agencies; the county funds much of the supportive housing it reviews.

    • The county published a count of overdose deaths in permanent supportive housing for 2024: 225.

      What the source says
      In 2024, there were 225 fatal overdoses in permanent supportive housing settings.
      Permanent Supportive Housing, p. 10
  4. Government King County Overdose Fatality Review. King County Overdose Fatality Review 2025 Report

    Annual report of the county's multi-agency review of overdose deaths, with an October 2025 session on permanent supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Run by Public Health - Seattle & King County with partner agencies; the county funds much of the supportive housing it reviews.

    • The county reported an average of 16 overdose deaths a month among people in permanent supportive housing from January 2024 to September 2025, as a countywide figure.

      What the source says
      From January 2024 through September 2025, an average of 16 fatal overdoses occurred each month among individuals living in permanent supportive housing (PSH) in King County.
      Fatal Overdoses in Permanent Supportive Housing (October 2025), p. 17
  5. Government Public Health - Seattle & King County. Report on Deaths Among Presumed Homeless Individuals Investigated by the King County Medical Examiner, 2012-2021

    The Medical Examiner's ten-year report on deaths of people presumed homeless, with its definitions and limits.

    Reliability: Written by the county health department about the Medical Examiner's own data; it states which deaths the office investigates.

    • The Medical Examiner investigates or reviews only about 1 in 5 deaths in King County, mostly sudden or unexplained ones.

      What the source says
      KCMEO investigated or reviewed approximately 19% of all deaths that occurred in King County over the ten-year period.
      Methods section

    • In its ten-year report on homeless deaths, the Medical Examiner says people living in supportive housing are not likely counted as homeless.

      What the source says
      Decedents who were living in transitional or supportive housing, or a doubled-up/couch surfing situation are not likely classified as homeless in this data set.
      Methods section
  6. Government King County Regional Homelessness Authority. System Performance Measures Overview (April 2, 2025)

    The homelessness authority's summary of the federal performance measures it reports to HUD for the 2022 and 2023 budget years.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The authority runs and funds the programs these measures grade; the measures follow HUD's federal specifications.

    • The authority reports 96% retention in permanent housing for the 2022 and 2023 budget years and gives no count of residents who died.

      What the source says
      For Metric 7b.2, the percentage of successful exits or retention in permanent housing remained consistent at 96%.
      KCRHA System Performance (M7) slide
  7. Government King County Department of Community and Human Services. Health Through Housing 2025 Dashboard: Data Table Appendix (June 2026)

    Data tables behind the county's dashboard for Health Through Housing, its program of hotels bought and converted into housing for people who were homeless.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Published by the county department that runs the program; it reports occupancy, length of stay and retention by site.

    • The county reports, site by site, the share of residents who stayed in or moved to permanent housing (91% to 97% for supportive housing, 2022 to 2025), with no count of residents who died.

      What the source says
      % of residents who exited to or maintained permanent housing
      Table 9
  8. Government U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. System Performance Measures HMIS Programming Specifications, Version 1.0 (October 2025)

    HUD's rules for how local homelessness agencies compute federal performance measures from their client databases.

    Reliability: Federal technical rules that every homelessness system reporting to HUD follows; Appendix A lists each exit reason and whether it counts.

    • In the permanent housing retention measure, exit reasons marked with an X are dropped entirely; Appendix A marks Deceased (code 24) with an X in every column.

      What the source says
      Destinations indicated with an ✗ cause leavers with those destinations to be completely excluded from the entire measure (all of column C).
      Metric 7b.2, step 5, p. 47; Appendix A, row 24 Deceased
  9. Government King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Critical Incident Reporting Policy and Template

    The homelessness authority's policy requiring funded providers to report serious incidents, including deaths.

    Reliability: The authority's own rules for its funded providers; it describes what is reported and why, not any totals.

    • The authority collects critical incident reports from every program it funds; its stated purposes include staying accountable to funders, with no step for public reporting.

      What the source says
      It is policy of KCRHA to receive and review critical incidents in all RHA funded programs.
      Policy, p. 1

    • Qualifies: Providers must report unexpected deaths that happen on site or nearby.

      What the source says
      Any suspected or confirmed suicide or homicide, or any unexpected death that occurs onsite in a facility or site-based program or within the vicinity of the program they were connected to
      Category I Incidents

    • Qualifies: These deaths must be reported to the authority within 24 to 48 hours.

      What the source says
      Report Category I incidents within 24 to 48 hours of incident
      Category I Incidents
  10. Government Metropolitan King County Council. Motion 2023-0116: report on fatal and nonfatal overdoses in county owned, operated or funded housing and homelessness facilities

    The council's legislative record for the motion, with its text, sponsor and history.

    Reliability: Official legislative record. The sponsor, Councilmember Reagan Dunn, was a critic of the county's homelessness spending.

    • The motion asked the county executive for a report on overdoses in county-funded housing and homelessness facilities.

      What the source says
      The council requests the executive create a report on fatal and nonfatal overdoses occurring in King County owned, operated or funded housing and homelessness facilities
      Text, section A

    • It also asked whether those deaths could be added to the county's overdose dashboard.

      What the source says
      A feasibility analysis of adding a section to public health - Seattle & King County's King County Fatal Overdose Dashboard
      Text, section A.3

    • The motion was introduced March 21, 2023, re-referred January 16, 2024, and lapsed February 1, 2024, with no committee hearing recorded.

      What the source says
      Lapsed
      Legislation details: Status and History
  11. Government San Francisco Department of Public Health. Behavioral Health Commission Director's Update, September 18, 2025

    Slides presented by San Francisco's health department to its Behavioral Health Commission, including where overdose deaths occurred in 2024.

    Reliability: City health department slides using Medical Examiner addresses; a one-time presentation, not a regular report.

    • Qualifies: San Francisco's health department reported that 26% of the city's 2024 overdose deaths were in supportive housing, a citywide share with no building breakdown.

      What the source says
      26% of overdose deaths are in PSH settings
      Slide 6
  12. News report The San Francisco Standard. Lurie rejects core reforms of homelessness oversight audit (August 24, 2026)

    News report on San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's response to a civil grand jury report on homelessness oversight.

    Reliability: Local news outlet quoting the mayor's written response to the grand jury.

    • Qualifies: San Francisco's civil grand jury recommended aggregated, anonymized quarterly reports built from providers' serious incident reports.

      What the source says
      One of the grand jury’s key recommendations calls for data from critical incident reports to be aggregated and anonymized into quarterly reports to the Homelessness Oversight Commission.
      Body

    • Qualifies: San Francisco's mayor rejected that recommendation in August 2026.

      What the source says
      The City will not implement this recommendation,
      Body · Office of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie
  13. Government New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Overdose Prevention: Recommendations for Supportive Housing Programs

    Guidance from New York City's health department to supportive housing operators.

    Reliability: City health department guidance; it gives one citywide share and no building figures.

    • Qualifies: New York City's health department reported that about 10% of 2023 overdose deaths were in supportive housing and single-room hotels, as one citywide share.

      What the source says
      In 2023, approximately 10% of fatal overdoses occurred in supportive housing and single-room occupancy settings.
      Page 1, introduction
  14. Government New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Twentieth Annual Report on Deaths Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness (2026)

    New York City's yearly report on deaths of homeless people, required by city law.

    Reliability: Required by New York City law; it defines who counts as homeless.

    • Qualifies: New York's yearly homeless-death report leaves out people placed in permanent housing, so deaths in supportive housing are not in it.

      What the source says
      permanent housing, skilled nursing facility, hospice care, HASA housing (emergency & transitional housing), or family reunification, are not considered persons experiencing homelessness and are excluded from this group.
      Methods, Exclusion Criteria
  15. Government Seattle Office of Housing. 2025 Annual Investments and Housing Levy Report (June 2026)

    The Office of Housing's yearly report on what the city paid for, including operating subsidies and staff support for supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Published by the city office that funds the housing; it reports its own spending and progress toward levy goals.

    • Qualifies: Seattle's Office of Housing helps pay the running costs of the buildings it funded, under 20-year commitments.

      What the source says
      OH makes initial 20-year operating funding commitments to help fill the gap between a building’s income and expenses
      Operating, Maintenance, and Services Subsidies section

    • The report counts supportive housing staff and their wages; it gives no count of residents who died.

      What the source says
      In 2025, Workforce Stabilization program funding supported the wages and benefits of 936 frontline PSH staff working in buildings throughout Seattle.
      Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) OMS Workforce Stabilization section
  16. Government Seattle Office of Housing. Office of Housing Community Report 2024

    The Office of Housing's short public summary of its 2024 work, including its supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Published by the city office that funds the housing.

    • Qualifies: Seattle's Office of Housing counts more than 5,700 supportive homes in buildings it funded.

      What the source says
      To date, the Office of Housing has over 5,700 supportive homes, with 315 of those opened in 2024.
      Permanent Supportive Housing section
  17. Government Seattle Human Services Department. HSD 2024 Annual Report

    The Human Services Department's yearly report, with a section on the city's homelessness spending.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Published by the city department that oversees Seattle's homelessness spending.

    • Qualifies: Seattle funds emergency shelter, rapid rehousing and transitional housing through the homelessness authority; the department's 2024 report gives no death counts.

      What the source says
      Under this partnership, KCRHA uses City funding to provide homelessness services such as emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and transitional housing.
      Addressing Homelessness, p. 11
  18. Government Seattle Office of City Auditor. Addressing Places in Seattle Where Overdoses and Crime are Concentrated: An Evidence-Based Approach (July 9, 2024)

    Seattle City Auditor's study of places where overdoses and crime are concentrated, with a case study of one block of Third Avenue.

    Reliability: The city's independent auditor, reporting to the City Council; it used Medical Examiner data for one block.

    • Contradicts: A 2024 city audit published overdose deaths near specific supportive housing buildings once: 10 of 11 on one block from July 2022 to July 2023, combined for three buildings.

      What the source says
      Data from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office indicates 10 of the 11 fatal overdoses (91 percent) occurred in or outside of the three permanent supportive housing buildings at the location.
      Report Highlights, p. 4

    • The auditor said the city could request the county's overdose death data, which it was not already analyzing.

      What the source says
      The City could also request and analyze the overdose fatalities data from Public Health – Seattle & King County to better understand the relationship between the overdose response and overdose fatality.
      p. 20
  19. Government King County Medical Examiner's Office. KCMEO Annual Report dashboard: Characteristics of Deaths Investigated by KCMEO (last updated October 29, 2026)

    The Medical Examiner's public dashboard of deaths it investigated, which can be filtered by year, manner of death and presumed living situation.

    Reliability: Published and updated by the Medical Examiner's Office from its own case records; it says its deaths are not representative of all county deaths.

    • Filtered to housing service sites, the dashboard shows 379 deaths in 2025: 200 accidental deaths other than traffic, 164 natural, 8 suicides, 3 homicides, 3 traffic and 1 undetermined, countywide, with no breakdown by building.

      What the source says
      All Race and Ethnicity Deaths = 379
      Decedent Characteristics tab; year 2025; PresumedLivingSituation filter set to Housing service site

    • Qualifies: The dashboard counts only deaths the Medical Examiner investigated, and it does not take all natural deaths.

      What the source says
      Deaths investigated by KCMEO are not representative of all King County deaths. KCMEO did not take jurisdiction of all natural deaths.
      Notes tab, Overview
  20. Government King County Regional Homelessness Authority. System Performance

    The homelessness authority's current System Performance dashboard page, with the definition of each measure it shows.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The authority grades programs it funds; this page defines each measure on its public dashboard, relaunched in December 2024.

    • For permanent supportive housing, the authority's dashboard reports the share of households who stay enrolled or move to permanent housing; none of its measures count deaths.

      What the source says
      Exits to or maintain permanent housing = Total number of households who maintain enrolled past the end of the timeframe and total number of households who exited to permanent housing during the timeframe ÷ Number of households active in the system during the timeframe
      Exit to or Maintain Permanent Housing, Permanent Housing Programs
  21. FactHub chart kcme-housing-site-deaths-2025

Update history 7 changes, last

  1. Restored the claim's full scope in the title, King County and Seattle, by building or provider (Standards 2516080990232020473-0299642df14b0c6e6cfa611abccceadc). Rewrote the answer to say King County counts these deaths only countywide and no agency report we checked gives them by building or provider, which also fits the one-time audit of a single block (2516080990229411926-3956f093e3ebbab0f358f9e491d560d0). Split the long description and summary, explained housing service sites where first used, and spelled out the federal housing department (2516080990224397249-4c13d01b1e13b85b0f4e039551de857c). Added a method step on cross-checking records (2516080990226888805-7014c10b813244fdb49d7bad200d9fbc). Reworded the retention question so the evidence settles it and took the Medical Examiner question out from under the verdict; reworded the incident-report question so the evidence settles it (Skeptic 2516080991138813471-3611c7bd6400cc50bba3ef6c0508938f). Added a question on whether public records let anyone work out building counts, searched the county and city open data catalogs, and said we did not check 911 records or what the nonprofits publish (2516080991141558755-d5e70b532c0e83e17b4c0a8632ce7c96). Said why the article rates the building-or-provider version rather than the broader complaint (2516080991145411791-9aa8c1222e15c7c0130f338d9b369612). Folded the data-system question into the retention question and dropped two questions the evidence and conclusion already cover, to keep eight.
  2. Reworded the title as a plain question that keeps the claim's full scope.
  3. Added a chart of the Medical Examiner's 2025 count of deaths at housing service sites by manner of death.
  4. First version.
  5. Asked the title in the claim's direction, so Yes means the claim is true. Narrowed the claim to deaths from all causes or by building, and rated it True. Added Seattle's own reports as evidence (Office of Housing, Human Services Department and City Auditor), addressing First Look feedback 2516081978997096022-c48fbda59d760535882481cc1a7427f4.
  6. Put the claim's scope in the title, since the county does publish overdose deaths: the title now asks whether only overdose deaths are reported. Restated the claim, answer and key points to match, and made the one-time 2024 Seattle audit count the contradicting point. Addresses First Look feedback 2516081970880390191-7589aa726f407888232e3e956568fd28 and 2516081970882887862-951eecb537ecc9cfc98f98a616530860.
  7. Corrected the finding: the Medical Examiner's public dashboard counts deaths of every kind at housing service sites (379 in 2025), so the earlier 'only overdose' claim was wrong. The article now rates whether deaths are published by building or provider, True. We checked the homelessness authority's current dashboard for a Deceased count and found none (Skeptic 2516081903626944430-ed19a2a8a82afb4bc65f34aa5a732e8c, 2516081903629967199-c754906cc5bd4de910162197faf4f133). Scoped 'no agency' to the agencies checked and removed the unsupported Los Angeles line (2516081903632887081-bdea60246faa4f2b9a46e67e8f4b9209; Standards 2516081902099206209-04ddd8c5671c1f10054c0075913118b5). Limited the retention statement to the federal report, removed Seattle 'retention' (Source Checker 2516081902902060079-ae02f8205ac815e2d1426124696b78ba). Restored 'and single-room hotels' for New York (2516081902907421677-1a6a1d869d31dadd31d1cfbb0d37ab7c), replaced San Francisco's 'site-level' with what the grand jury asked for (2516081902910323123-b58ae68fa545935fc6bcc62143ee3d17), and restored the Medical Examiner's 'not likely' hedge and the city's shelter wording (2516081902904745855-2974a6318afc20854c7919acf0c4c51c). Rewrote the title with 'unpublished', the answer to stand alone and the summary as one sentence (Standards 2516081902107935087-32424f9b7cf46c865bb45303e3480105, 2516081902105015828-f72c0b3ea9cb97d1c147170851a251a3, 2516081902102085148-206f4c0033aaa4a8ac73de6546f997b6).

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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","url":"https://facthub.org/n/article/king-county-housing-deaths-not-published","datePublished":"2026-11-07","dateModified":"2026-11-08","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"FactHub","url":"https://facthub.org/"},"claimReviewed":"King County and Seattle don\u0027t publish how many residents die at each supportive housing building or provider they fund.","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","alternateName":"True"},"image":"https://facthub.org/node-assets-v2/article/king-county-housing-deaths-not-published/7/morrison/social-1200x630.jpg"}

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