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Q&A
Council member inquires about HPD staffing levels and recruitment efforts
1:27:31
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62 sec
Council Member Brooks-Powers questions the commissioner and deputy commissioner about HPD staffing levels, particularly for Housing Connect and rent increase processing.
- HPD is self-funding five staff members for Housing Connect
- The Office of Housing Access and Stability has reduced its vacancy rate to under 10%
- Grant-funded staff are not subject to hiring freeze, allowing for quicker recruitment
- Discussion on whether current staffing levels are sufficient to eliminate delays
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
1:27:31
So sorry just in the interest of time, I would like to get the guide and in terms of the staffing shortage, is that accounted for in the executive budget in which HPD is looking to obtain?
1:27:49
What's the ideal number of staff?
1:28:13
But you're self funding five, like what's the ideal number of staffing so that you don't have this bottleneck?
1:28:28
So with the five, you feel like there won't be that delay that we're seeing right now?
Ahmed Tigani
1:27:43
We are self funding five staff members of Housing Connect.
Gardea Caphart
1:27:50
Yeah, so for the temps we do have funding for the temps so they cover it.
1:27:52
In terms of the staff for that area, the entire Office of Housing Access and Stability, we have been able to bring that vacancy rate down.
1:28:00
We're now under 10% in that area and we'll continue to recruit.
1:28:04
The good thing about it is that the grant funded staff are now subject to the freeze, so we are able to hire quickly and so we're working on rebuilding that team.
1:28:19
Oh, the five the commissioner mentioned is just for the just attempts for like a bridge just to get it over.
1:28:24
We still have regular staff, but those five are just attempts to help catch up with the backlog.