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Q&A
Per diem costs for asylum seekers and challenges with empty bed payments
1:24:36
ยท
100 sec
Council Member Ayala inquires about the current per diem cost for asylum seekers. Director Jiha, with input from other officials, provides information on costs and explains the challenges with empty bed payments.
- The current per diem cost for asylum seekers is about $370 as of January
- The high per diem cost is partly due to paying for empty beds as people leave the system
- The city is working on consolidating spaces and closing facilities to generate savings
- The process of consolidation and closure is ongoing, making it difficult to provide specific numbers on unused beds
Diana Ayala
1:24:36
I appreciate it.
1:24:37
Thank you.
1:24:38
Do you know what what is the current per diem cost for asylum seekers?
Jacques Jiha
1:24:44
What is it, Sheena?
1:24:45
It's about 200?
1:24:46
What is it?
1:24:47
About 300 something.
1:24:48
3 70.
Kenneth Godiner
1:24:49
3 70.
1:24:49
That's what you
Jacques Jiha
1:24:50
As of January, it's about $3.70.
Amanda Farias
1:24:52
3 7 8?
Jacques Jiha
1:24:54
3 7 0.
1:24:55
And the reason why is because, you know, as people leaving the system and you're you're still paying for a lot of empty space.
1:25:04
That's why we're consolidating the space as as quickly as we can because you have you know, you're paying for empty beds.
1:25:12
You know?
1:25:12
Until you consolidate and close the place, you keep paying for those things, so therefore the per diem goes up.
1:25:19
Okay?
1:25:20
But we're making significant progress in terms of the cost.
1:25:23
It's just the empty beds that are causing the per diem to increase.
Diana Ayala
1:25:26
We're paying for empty beds in spaces that are shutting down?
Jacques Jiha
1:25:30
No.
1:25:30
Because Or that can tell you?
1:25:31
Before you shut them down.
Jane Fox
1:25:32
Uh-huh.
Jacques Jiha
1:25:33
Okay?
1:25:33
Let's say you have a contract for a month or two months or whatever left in the country.
Adrienne Adams
1:25:37
Okay.
1:25:37
You have
Jacques Jiha
1:25:37
to But you're still paying for it.
1:25:39
Okay?
1:25:39
So that skew, okay, the per diem upward because you're paying for something when there's nobody in it.
1:25:47
Okay?
1:25:47
So you have to consolidate and close those places.
1:25:50
As you go through that process, okay, the per diem increase, but the saving is there.
1:25:55
Saving is real because you consolidate in a place, you're closing those places, and as a result, you're saving resources.
Diana Ayala
1:26:01
Do you know how many beds we have that are not being used at the time that we're paying for?
Jacques Jiha
1:26:05
I can't give you a specific on a day to day basis, because we go through the process of we we try to consolidate as best we can, as quickly as we can so we could shut them down because that's how we generate the savings.
1:26:15
Yeah.