East King News

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority recently approved the appointment of John Chelminiak to sit on the KCRHA Board.

According to city records, John Chelminiak sat on the Bellevue City Council for over a decade. He also served two terms as deputy mayor and one term as mayor.

During this time, he served with the King County’s MIDD (Mental Illness and Dependency) Advisory Committee and advocated to end homelessness.

Reagan Dunn, who is the King County vice chair, commented on the nomination.

“John has a well-deserved reputation of being a local champion of human services, and I am grateful that he has once again agreed to continue that work at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority,” Dunn said in a press release from King County. “There is an urgent need to address homelessness in King County in a meaningful way, and with his decades of experience and heart for public service, John will be an invaluable addition to the board.”

Chelminiak said the goal of the new agency is to get people off the streets.

“This new regional agency must be a success for everyone in King County,” Chelminiak said in the press release. “The goals must be getting people off the street, getting them the services they need, and doing it in ways that are culturally relevant to the individual. We can make homelessness rare, brief and one-time and I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Implementation Board.”