Q&A
Council Member Restler raises concerns about subcontracting practices in shelters
2:14:55
·
110 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler expresses concerns about subcontracting practices in the shelter system, particularly focusing on potentially unethical arrangements.
- Restler highlights issues with for-profit subcontracting entities providing services like security for shelters.
- He points out instances where shelter leadership may be profiting multiple times through these arrangements.
- Restler asks what can be done to eliminate 'shady and unethical subcontractor practices'.
- He acknowledges the challenges DSS faces in finding shelter operators while emphasizing the importance of addressing these concerns.
Lincoln Restler
2:14:55
I really appreciate that response.
2:14:58
I do think that, as as I understand it from your testimony, there are providers that are many times larger than the providers that have been shuttered in recent years that are on corrective action plans.
2:15:09
I appreciate that corrective action plans are intended to be technical assistance and helping to provide additional support to ensure that these operators are are, providing the quality of services and care that our clients deserve.
2:15:23
But it it does give me concern when we have organizations that have many dozens of shelters, on corrective action plans that may not be operating at the level that we all hope.
2:15:34
The other area that I wanted to just dig in on in my last 8 seconds, sorry Chair Breuer, is, subcontracting, which is a real concern of mine, that I think we've seen some of these operators that are, I really think, borderline unethical practices where they have these for profit subcontracting entities that provide the security services or other forms of services for the shelter.
2:16:02
The same leadership in the shelter is getting paid multiple times over, family members and others connected to the subcontractors.
2:16:10
What can we do to eliminate these shady and unethical subcontractor practices so that we're supporting quality nonprofit organizations to provide high caliber services?
2:16:22
And I I, again, wanna just come back to, I realize you have a really hard job and you don't have a 1,000 organizations knocking on your door every day to operate these shelters, and so you've gotta do the best you can with the, the choices you got.
2:16:36
But this isn't an issue of, I think, real concern.
2:16:39
I know it's been an area that you and others have focused on.
2:16:41
Could you elaborate on what you've done and what we could do further moving forward?
Molly Wasow Park
2:16:45
Absolutely.
