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Q&A
Centralization of mail operations for asylum seekers
2:39:05
·
4 min
Council Member Avilés inquires about the centralization of mail operations for asylum seekers. OASO Director Schaefer provides details on the new system managed by the Housing Recovery Office (HRO).
- The centralization is not a cost-saving initiative but aimed at better service delivery
- Mail will be held for 90 days
- The system is prepared to manage mail for all non-DHS asylum seekers
- Outreach will be conducted for important mail
- People will need to show identification (shelter ID, muni ID, etc.) to collect their mail
Alexa Avilés
2:39:05
Got it.
2:39:06
In terms of the I have a slew of questions from last year that OSO hasn't responded to.
2:39:17
So I'm not gonna read them in the record, but again, we're expecting responses in a timely fashion.
2:39:29
We recently learned that the administration obviously is centralizing the mail in a single location.
2:39:37
Are there estimated savings from consolidating there estimated savings
UNKNOWN
2:39:41
operations?
2:39:42
So this was not a cost savings initiative, this was really based on better service delivery.
2:39:55
So are
Alexa Avilés
2:39:55
there any increased costs around it?
2:39:57
No, it's cost neutral.
2:39:59
Okay.
Molly Schaefer
2:40:01
What agency will manage?
2:40:03
So it's managed by HRO, the housing recovery office.
Alexa Avilés
2:40:10
And how will centralizing mail operations impact service delivery timelines?
Molly Schaefer
2:40:16
So the idea is that it should make it very easy for people to know where their mail is.
2:40:24
This is specifically for non DHS guests.
2:40:27
So these are people in the emergency side of the house.
2:40:31
We will do outreach for important mail.
2:40:34
We will hold mail for ninety days and the idea is that people will come to this site if they are expecting mail and we will again continue to do outreach too for high priority mail.
Alexa Avilés
2:40:45
And and how long will the mail be held at the center?
2:40:48
Ninety days.
2:40:55
And how many people does the administration expect to serve weekly?
2:41:03
It's all people.
2:41:04
All the
Molly Schaefer
2:41:05
All the people who are in non not going say 40,000.
2:41:08
It's not going to be weekly.
2:41:09
It's dependent on anyone's male But we are prepared to manage everybody in the non DHS system.
Alexa Avilés
2:41:18
Right, so 43,300.
Molly Schaefer
2:41:22
Well 43,300 is not that because a good majority of those are in DHS.
2:41:27
I don't have the exact number, but a good majority.
2:41:29
So it's only people who are in non DHS sites.
2:41:32
So it's a far smaller number than that.
Alexa Avilés
2:41:35
Can you provide the breakdown for the council?
Molly Schaefer
2:41:38
I don't have the exact amount of people that are in those sites.
2:41:42
Give me a second, I can tell you how many sites are.
2:41:46
We have 160 Department of Homeless Services sites.
2:41:50
There's 181 sites complete, I mean total sites.
2:41:55
160 of those are DHS.
2:41:57
There's 13 of those that are HRO and eight of those that are and H.
2:42:02
And a majority and what we are closing between now and June is our HRO and H and H sites.
Alexa Avilés
2:42:08
Just point of clarification because I may have misunderstood you.
2:42:13
The 181 sites, 160 of the 181 are DHS run?
2:42:20
Correct.
2:42:20
So we're talking 31 sites are 21 sites.
2:42:25
21, I can't math.
2:42:27
21 are currently what, a WASO?
Molly Schaefer
2:42:31
No.
2:42:32
They're currently HPD and H and H.
Alexa Avilés
2:42:35
So what are you all doing?
Molly Schaefer
2:42:37
So as we said, we're a coordination body.
2:42:39
And as I said in my testimony or I believe I said in my testimony, we don't hold any contracts and we don't manage any sites directly.
Alexa Avilés
2:42:46
So you're floating around all these different sites?
Molly Schaefer
2:42:49
We are yes.
2:42:50
Are a coordination entity.
Alexa Avilés
2:42:54
Got it.
2:43:01
For the mail center, will people be required to show identification to get their mail?
Molly Schaefer
2:43:06
Yes, but that could be a shelter ID, that could be a muni ID, it's not.
Alexa Avilés
2:43:12
So it varies.
Kayt Tiskus
2:43:13
Yeah, varies.
Alexa Avilés
2:43:14
And will folks be required to sign in for BUEL?
Molly Schaefer
2:43:18
I have to get back to you.
2:43:20
I suspect yes so that we have good records.
2:43:22
We have a data system collected.
2:43:24
Obviously if someone comes in and tries to get their mail we want to make sure we said that we gave it to them.
2:43:29
But let me double check on that.