Q&A
Discussion on funding and support for legal services organizations
2:24:54
ยท
146 sec
Council Member Shekar Krishan inquires about efforts to fast-track funding for legal services organizations in anticipation of increased caseloads. Commissioner Manuel Castro responds by describing current efforts and acknowledging the challenges in the city's contracting process.
- Various city offices are working to expedite payments and support nonprofit contractors
- MOIA provides assistance to make procurement processes more accessible to immigrant-serving nonprofits
- The commissioner acknowledges that improvements are needed in the contracting process
- Efforts are being made to support organizations helping families with detained loved ones
Shekar Krishan
2:24:54
My other my final two questions was one on, legal services.
2:24:58
We we talked a lot about it.
2:24:59
You know how I feel how important it is to to have access to counsel.
2:25:03
What conversations, if any, are happening to fast track funding from the administration side for legal services organizations?
2:25:10
Their caseloads are going to increase.
2:25:13
They need to be ready to take in intake that'll be coming in, much more frequently too, but their contracts are, burdensome, unfortunately, because of the city contracting process.
2:25:22
Has there been any, discussion about making sure they can expedite funding for for them?
Manuel Castro
2:25:28
Yes.
2:25:29
I know that many of the teams that work on on these matters, whether it's mayor's office of contract services, mayor's office non nonprofit services, or agency ACLs, they're all working day and night to expedite payments and make sure that our nonprofit contractors have what they need.
2:25:47
We also provide assistance, meaning Moya.
2:25:52
Whenever we have a procurement out, we make sure to work very closely with the various offices that, oversee this work and ensure that this information and these processes are accessible to our immigrant serving, nonprofits.
2:26:08
That said, I do acknowledge as someone who led a nonprofit and had to do this work on the other side, I do know that there is much to improve.
Shekar Krishan
2:26:17
No.
2:26:17
It's a broken process.
Manuel Castro
2:26:20
But, you know, to your earlier point, council member, I, you know, I do I do, acknowledge that we need to be out there, which is why, from my beginning from the beginning of my tenure here, I've I've made it a point to be very much out in the community, and I will continue to do so, responding to any emergency that might come up, and working collaboratively with those groups, and nonprofits that are very much rooted in community serving people where they're at.
2:26:53
And I just have a tremendous amount of admiration for those groups that do this work.
2:26:57
It's not easy, especially, organizations that are doing the work, to support families whose loved ones are detained.
2:27:08
All that, we are exploring ways to best support the organizations doing that work.
2:27:14
And as I said earlier, we're working closely with Awasu to figure out ways to get more, additional support to them.
Shekar Krishan
2:27:20
And we appreciate your leadership there, and I've seen it too.