In order to avoid distracting from the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Auditor’s Office suspended an audit on accessing housing and homeless services in March 2020. This report covers the information we heard and learned during early audit work, before suspending the audit. It is based primarily on interviews. This report reflects a snapshot in time, prior to the pandemic. We are sharing the perspectives and lived experiences we learned about because they will continue be to be important as the County moves forward.
Read the summary on this page and download the pdf for the full report.
What We Heard
- The Joint Office oversees homeless services and the Department of County Human Services focuses on prevention
- Services are in high demand due to a lack of housing that is affordable
- Coordinated access process intends to prioritize the most vulnerable people
- Demand for adult shelter exceeds capacity
- Street outreach is a key access point for youth
- Services are limited for vulnerable families
- Domestic violence survivors have unique housing needs
- Eviction prevention assistance is hard to obtain
- Adults from the unhoused community expressed concerns about a lack of basic services and frustration with providers
- Staff at nonprofit providers are paid low wages leading to turnover