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Q&A
Discussion on contract flexibility and procurement processes for Housing Connect
2:11:12
·
98 sec
Council Member Sanchez and Howard Slatkin discuss the challenges of contract flexibility for Housing Connect and the procurement process for tech services in city government.
- Slatkin advises against fixing lottery procedures in law or contracts
- Highlights the need for adaptable tech platforms in government contracts
- Discusses the challenges of traditional procurement models for evolving tech needs
Pierina Ana Sanchez
2:11:12
Thank you.
2:11:13
That's that's really helpful.
2:11:14
And I I really appreciate your comments about how making fixes to the interface would also allow you to have, the capacity to serve more people, because there's just the filters are are just not working.
2:11:27
Howard, thank you so much.
2:11:28
Good good to see you.
2:11:30
I, you know, taking your comments to heart on the details of the lottery procedures should not be fixed in law.
2:11:35
Right?
2:11:37
They also shouldn't be fixed in contract because my understanding is that the the contract that we have or that the city has with the the Housing Connect provider also limits what changes we can ask for and what upgrades.
2:11:49
And so I I certainly welcome you to share feedback with us, share feedback with HPD about how to write, the goals and and the, you know, the the goals for for these procedures and and processes in a way that would allow HPD to to write contracts the the best way also.
Howard Slatkin
2:12:07
I I I I would love to be able to provide sort of more substantive response to that, but I think you've highlighted a really important issue, which is that the procurement process that the city has to use to procure tech services to do these kinds of things.
2:12:22
It's a you know, I I am not familiar with the details of this contract, this vendor, or any of those things.
2:12:26
But from my experience in years in in city government, which ended just a couple years ago, These things could be really challenging and it's having a tech platform that needs to change and adapt and evolve over time is not the traditional model for how those contracts, work, and I think it's worth, looking into ways to bet make that model of adaptable tech, work better for this purpose.