King County Housing Authority supports staff and residents with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Small team. Big mission. How King County Housing Authority is bringing AI to the work that matters most

Every day, the King County Housing Authority (KCHA) works to ensure housing stability for tens of thousands of people across King County, Washington—a vast and diverse region in the Pacific Northwest, from the urban core of Seattle along the Puget Sound to suburban and rural communities beyond.

For KCHA’s leaders, the question wasn’t whether artificial intelligence would enter the workplace. It already had. The real question was how to introduce it responsibly, equitably, and in a way that truly helped people—not overwhelmed them.

Their answer: start where the work already happened.

“Microsoft 365 Copilot helps us reclaim time from routine work and reinvest it where it matters most. That means supporting residents, improving services, and reducing burnout across the organization.” said Steven Hellyer, Chief Technology Officer at KCHA.

A mission that demands clarity, trust, and care

KCHA doesn’t just provide housing. It helps families build long term stability: connecting residents to food, healthcare, education, and employment services. This mission is fundamentally about people, relying on open communication, good judgment, and strong relationships built on trust.

But the internal reality was challenging. Staff were balancing growing workloads, dense policy documentation, scattered information, and countless meetings. Writing, summarizing, researching, and documenting took time. Often time that could have been spent supporting residents and strengthening their communities.

Leaders at KCHA recognized a familiar tension: the mission was expanding, but capacity wasn’t.

“We have a small staff doing incredibly complex, mission critical work,” said Hellyer. “Our responsibility was to support that workforce by removing friction—not adding to it.”

That people-first lens was essential, especially at a time when teams were already stretched thin. “People were already carrying a lot. If we were going to introduce something new, it had to genuinely help—not create more anxiety or more work.” said Tonya Harlan, Chief People Officer at KCHA. KCHA’s leadership looked at generative AI to protect people’s time, reduce burnout, and strengthen the workforce.

Meeting people where they are, with guardrails in place

From the beginning, KCHA was clear about what mattered most: security, compliance, and trust. As a public sector organization, records retention, accessibility, and data protection were non-negotiable.

That made Copilot a natural fit. “As a public agency, we have a responsibility to protect data, comply with records requirements, and maintain trust. Copilot gave us a way to move forward with AI inside the guardrails we already rely on.” said Hellyer.

Because Copilot works inside the tools staff already use—Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel—it lowered the barrier to entry. People didn’t have to learn a brand‑new system or wonder where AI “lived.” It showed up where the work already happened.

“What Microsoft Unified gave us was a clear path—from where we were starting to where we wanted to go,” said Hellyer. “It helped us align access, enablement, and governance into one coordinated approach that actually worked for our organization.” Unified Services helped KCHA treat AI adoption not as a series of disconnected efforts, but as a single, supported journey.

“We knew people were already exploring AI tools,” said Tony Tsang, IT Project Manager at KCHA. “Our goal was to put the right guardrails in place so they could use AI safely and responsibly.”

“People need to feel safe using a new tool,” adds Harlan. “Knowing the guardrails were in place made it easier for our teams to engage, experiment, and learn.”

Adoption as a human journey—not a rollout

Instead of turning Copilot on for everyone at once, KCHA took a phased, cohort-based approach. Each group began with training focused on security and permissions, followed by practical guidance on how to use Copilot in real, everyday work.

To build confidence, the team also launched a 30 day Copilot challenge—short, approachable prompts designed to encourage experimentation without pressure. Staff could try what resonated, skip what didn’t, and learn at their own pace.

“We wanted Copilot to feel accessible, not intimidating,” said April Godwin, Microsoft 365 Solution Architect at KCHA. “Because it’s embedded in tools people already use, it met them where they were. Without adding complexity.”

Many employees were skeptical at first. Some worried about accuracy. Others worried about change itself.

“I was definitely a doubter,” said Janelle Losse, Administrative Project Manager at KCHA. “I remember thinking, ‘Why does my work really want us to use this?’ But once I tried the challenge, I started to see how practical it could be. Now I use it all the time. I call it my bestie.” Small wins began to add up.

For project managers, Copilot helped break the inertia of a blank page: turning outlines into first drafts that could be refined with confidence. “It helps me get started,” Losse said. “Instead of staring at a blank screen, I can react, refine, and make it better. That alone saves time and energy.”

For learning and development teams, it opened new creative possibilities. “Copilot became a thought partner for our team. We use it to draft scripts, build training materials, and experiment in real time. Once people saw what was possible, the fear started to fade.” said Camie Whidden, Senior Learning and Development Program Manager at KCHA.

“It helped me slow down to speed up,” Whidden added. “I can clarify my thinking, refine my message, and communicate more intentionally. That makes me a better leader.”

As Godwin put it simply: “I love it as a thought partner—but also as a teacher. It lets people learn in the flow of their work.” That foundation of trust and skill building would later make it possible to explore more advanced capabilities—without losing momentum or confidence.

Leveling the playing field

One of the most powerful outcomes wasn’t speed. It was inclusion.

Copilot helped level the playing field for people with different writing styles, communication strengths, and language backgrounds. Employees who once hesitated to share drafts began showing up more confidently knowing they could refine tone, simplify language, and tailor messages for their audience.

Clearer communication and faster access to information meant staff could respond more quickly and consistently to resident needs—without adding strain to already stretched teams.

“It really leveled the playing field,” said Hellyer. “People with different writing styles and backgrounds can communicate more clearly and confidently.”

That confidence showed up across the organization. “I’ve seen people show up with more confidence,” said Harlan. “Copilot helped them get their ideas out clearly—without feeling intimidated.”

“Our staff still review, validate, and apply their expertise. Copilot just helps them get there faster.” Hellyer added.

In one case, Copilot helped rewrite resident facing letters—lowering reading levels and improving clarity to make communications more accessible to the community KCHA serves.

In another, it helped an employee take ownership of organization wide cultural communications, building confidence that carried across her work.

By removing friction, not their expertise, Copilot helped people start faster, communicate more clearly, and contribute more confidently.

From personal productivity to organizational impact

As adoption grew, so did ambition.

With staff comfortable using Copilot day-to-day, KCHA began exploring agents built with Copilot Studio. The first use case was Ask IT, an agent designed to answer common technology questions in plain language and guide employees through next steps.

“Once people were comfortable using Copilot day-to-day, it opened the door to something bigger,” said Hellyer. “We could start thinking about how AI supports the organization. Not just individual tasks.”

The goal wasn’t flashy automation. It was practical support: reducing wait times, improving ticket quality, and freeing IT staff to focus on higher value work.

“Ask IT was about giving people fast, plain language answers while reducing the burden on our support teams,” adds Godwin.

Early signals were promising, and the team is already exploring what’s next: HR knowledge agents, internal policy assistants, and tools that help frontline housing specialists navigate complex rules while supporting residents.

A new way to work—rooted in people

Today, Copilot is helping KCHA reclaim time, improve clarity, and strengthen institutional knowledge. Meeting summaries replace re watches. First drafts come together faster. Information is easier to find. And confidence is higher.

By reducing administrative burden, staff can reinvest their time and energy where it matters most: serving residents, supporting communities, and delivering on a mission that changes lives.

“What we’re seeing isn’t just time saved,” said Hellyer. “It’s capacity regained. And that allows our people to focus on higher value work that directly supports the community.”

Just as importantly, Copilot is helping KCHA retain and share knowledge across the organization. “This is where Copilot starts to feel institutional, not individual,” adds Godwin. “It helps us capture knowledge and learn in the flow of work. Not just move faster.”

For KCHA, AI isn’t about doing more for the sake of efficiency. It’s about doing better. Together.

“At the end of the day, this is about taking care of our people,” concludes Harlan. “When people feel supported and confident in how they work, they can show up fully for the communities we serve.”

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