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Q&A
Council Member Avilés questions Commissioner Park about $215 million city FHEPS budget allocation
1:55:48
·
83 sec
Council Member Alexa Avilés inquires about the allocation of $215 million negotiated for the city FHEPS (Family Homelessness & Eviction Prevention Supplement) program, expressing concern about transparency in budget line items. Commissioner Molly Wasow Park responds, explaining that hundreds of millions have been added to the FHEPS budget, but needs to consult with OMB colleagues for specific accounting details.
- Avilés emphasizes the importance of tracking the added resources to ensure they are used for their intended purpose.
- Park clarifies that the funds are specifically for city FHEPS spending, not a "slush fund."
- The exchange highlights the council's vigilance in monitoring budget allocations and the administration's use of negotiated funds.
Alexa Avilés
1:55:48
We're gonna go back to the $215,000,000 around city fabs.
1:55:53
I heard you say that there was much more added to the program.
1:55:58
I guess what I was curious specifically about is where we could see the reflection of the $215,000,000 that was negotiated and added in, like where we could see that in the line item accounting of the program.
Molly Wasow Park
1:56:12
So in FY '25, we've had hundreds of millions of dollars added to this 50 FEPS budget.
1:56:19
It's more or less doubled.
1:56:22
I need to consult with my OMB colleagues on how they are accounting for that and aligned with the city of yes commitment.
Alexa Avilés
1:56:29
So just to note, I think my colleagues may have said that it pains us that we have added resources to become a slush fund for other things potentially.
1:56:42
So that's why we are so dogged in making sure that we see the addition of the resources because this would not be the only instance where the administration has wanted to put the resources that we fought very hard to give agencies for very specific work to other purposes.
1:57:01
So I appreciate you and thank you.
Molly Wasow Park
1:57:03
Always happy to do the follow-up.
1:57:05
Just to clarify, certainly no slush fund.
1:57:07
That is the dollars I was talking about was specifically for city fep spending.