Yesterday, Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson excoriated the Department of Homeless Services, consistently hammering them on their budget overruns from previous years, while also calling into question the efficacy of the department.
Explaining she was perplexed by why the department was unable to help more people and families, despite overspending and budget increases, relating a personal story of trying to help a constituent with emergency services and finding the process laborious.
“It is quite clear to me that in order to actually end homeless in our city, we need a complete overhaul of (the Department of Homeless Services),” Gilmore Richardson said.
The Majority Leader appealed to her colleagues, imploring them “not fall for the games” and becoming more educated on the issues of homelessness in the city.
Another key moment was the department’s lack of knowledge regarding the role they will play in the Mayor’s triage center plan-and major lynchpin of the Administration’s Kensington strategy that will cost $100 million over the course of the next five years. To date, few answers have been forthcoming about the centers.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the hearing was when Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson called each member of the department’s executive team to the council floor and made each say their name, title, and answer her question as to whether they had taken any money meant for the department for personal use.
Afterwards, Gilmore Richardson said the question was valid in light of the department’s financial mismangement.
”We know that year after year we’ve had to pay for last year’s work the next year,” Gilmore Richardson said.
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