Are18 there any other questions?19 (No response.)20
Are21 there any other questions from members of22 the committee?23 (No further questions.)24
Thank25 289 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 you very much.2 COMMISSIONER AMBROSE: Thank3 you.4
Thank5 you, Commissioner.6 MR. McPHERSON: Our next7 department is the Office of Supportive8 Housing.9 COUNCIL PRESIDENT VERNA:10 (Pounds gavel.) We're still trying to11 conduct business. Please leave quietly.12 Good afternoon.13
Good afternoon.14 COUNCIL PRESIDENT VERNA:15 Kindly identify yourself for the record.16
My name is Dainette17 Mintz. I'm the Director of the Office of18 Supportive Housing.19 COUNCIL PRESIDENT VERNA:20 Please proceed.21
Good afternoon,22 President Verna and distinguished members23 of City Council. 11 COMM. 2 The mission of OSH is to assist3 homeless individuals and families in4 moving towards self-sufficiency and the5 operation of Riverview Home, providing6 housing to low-income elderly and persons7 with disabilities. 11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 The Fiscal Year '12 OSH Budget2 supports a total of 167 positions. 6 There are 49 state and federal7 grant-funded positions. 5 percent, are bilingual9 or trilingual, with fluency in languages10 Spanish, French, Yoruba, Igbo, Chinese,11 Mandarin, and to Malayalam. 20 A summary of the OSH Fiscal21 '11. After the submission and adoption22 of our Fiscal Year '11 budget OHS's state23 grant funds were reduced by a million24 dollars. 11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 the first quarter of Fiscal Year '112 included the loss of 80 units of capacity3 for families in both emergency and4 transitional housing. 11 COMM. 11 COMM. 13 A total of 2,300 of the14 households received financial assistance15 to help them stay in their homes through16 the prevention component. 11 COMM. 16 In 2008, Philadelphia extended17 a invitation to Pathways to Housing to18 join our existing housing-first partners,19 Horizon House and 1260 Housing20 Development Corporation, in our efforts21 to end street homelessness. 11 COMM. 4 Pathways to Housing5 Philadelphia is currently serving 135 men6 and women with serious mental illness7 and/or addiction. 13 The OSH Fiscal Year '12 Budget14 summary. 22 At the beginning of Fiscal Year23 '11, we had 5,900 beds. 11 COMM. 4 The outlook for Fiscal Year '125 is extremely challenging. 11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 eliminated, OSH will seek to preserve 172 of the 41 HSDF positions with general3 funds instead by shifting costs from our4 Class 200 to Class 200 budget. 12 The loss of the State Grant13 Funds would reduce availability of social14 workers, and emergency relocation efforts15 would eliminate protective services for16 abused and neglected individuals, 7017 monthly. 11 COMM. 14 Also in Fiscal Year '12, OSH15 will be phasing out the City's largest16 emergency housing site for single men at17 1360 Ridge Avenue, which has the capacity18 to serve up to 340 men. 11 COMM. 8 In addition, the three-year9 $23 million Homeless Prevention and Rapid10 Rehousing Program, funded through the11 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,12 will end in the first quarter of Fiscal13 Year 13. 11 COMM. 12 Our minority business13 participation rate. Historically, the14 expertise of providing homeless housing15 and supportive services lies in the16 nonprofit provider community. Seventy-17 two percent of these contracts are with18 organizations that provide housing to19 homeless individuals, and the remaining20 28 percent of the contracts are awarded21 to agencies to provide supportive22 services. 11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 agencies contract dollars goes to2 nonprofit providers. 11 OSH also partners with OEO to12 survey the top 100 nonprofit contractors13 of the Health & Opportunity cluster, and14 OSH is the lead agency for nine of those15 top 100 nonprofit contractors. 11 COMM. 2 percent. 9 For Fiscal Year '12, the OEO10 minority, women, and disabled for-profit11 goal for OSH is 25 percent. 11 COMM. 11
Thank12 you.13 The Chair recognizes Councilman14 Blackwell.15
Thank16 you.17 Thank you, Ms. Mintz's staff.18 We appreciate all that you do.19 Your testimony does, in fact,20 frighten me, and I hope that the21 Administration is listening and will22 realize that in 2011 and '12, we do not23 need to go backward and have more people24 on the streets of our city.25 305 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 (Applause.)2
It3 took us a while around this city to try4 to have homeless people not in front of5 every Wawa and every shop you'd stop at6 if you wanted to get a cup of coffee.7 And we are really, really frightened with8 that. We're frightened about the closing9 of Ridge shelter.10 (Applause.)11
And we12 are hopeful that the Administration will13 hear how important it is that we do not14 have homeless people on the streets.15 I have only one specific16 question, and that is: Someone asked me17 to ask you before they left about Ridge18 Avenue and -- no, about our senior19 shelter, not Ridge. You know what I'm20 trying --21
Riverview?22 COUNCILWOMAN BLACKWELL:23 Riverview. And their concern was that it24 was closed, and people were let go, labor25 306 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 people, union people, and that it opened2 up without union people.3 Could you talk a little bit4 about that for the record?5
Sure. At the6 beginning of Fiscal Year '11, when we7 realized the State reductions, we looked8 at where we could provide and absorb the9 impact.10 And one of the things that we11 did was to reduce the census at12 Riverview. We decided to close one of13 the cottages. And in my testimony, I14 made reference to the fact we partnered15 with DPW to relocate.16 So one cottage has capacity17 reduce the capacity by 48 persons, so we18 were attempting to reduce the capacity by19 48 individuals, single men. And we20 worked with them to make those reductions21 concurrent with the reduction of the22 census and the closing of that cottage.23 We no longer needed to have the same24 number of health care aids because we had25 307 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 a reduced census. So we also laid off2 four health-care aides at Riverview.3 And the ability for us to move4 forward was that we also had utilized a5 empty cottage to provide some overflow6 housing for homeless families, and we7 also eliminated that and relocated those8 families with -- using our Homeless9 Prevention Rapid Rehousing component.10 I believe that what folks may11 be concerned about is that when we12 eliminated using that cottage for13 families, we no longer needed to have the14 Riverview staff providing continued15 services. And so, that eliminated some16 overtime, et cetera.17 But we did not hire non-City18 staff because we no longer had the19 activities occurring there.20
But the facility is23 still opening and still operating. It24 currently has a census of about 9925 308 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 people, and that's one male and one2 female cottage.3
About 99 are -- we6 want the census to be no more than a7 hundred, and I think we have one vacancy.8
It was closing one11 cottage. There's a number of cottages on12 the campus.13
And we just closed15 one cottage that was housing disabled and16 elderly residents. And then we also17 stopped using one other cottage that we18 were using for extra space for homeless19 families.20
Okay.21 Thank you. That will answer his22 question.23 And I would love to hear from24 the Administration. I saw our...25 309 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 (Ms. Rhynhart comes forward.2
Good afternoon.3 Rebecca Rhynhart, Budget Director.4 Councilwoman Blackwell, to your5 point, the Administration definitely6 understands the gravity of the cuts that7 the State -- that the Governor's proposed8 budget is making to homeless services,9 and that's something that we are working10 on right now.11 So we agree with you that this12 is a deep concern, so we're working on13 the possibility of what to do here.14
Well,15 I hope we have some specific plans. We16 knew that this year would come from the17 blueprint that Carl Greene helped18 negotiate with the City, and that was a19 big, big, big help. So we are grateful20 for that and to him for that.21 But we knew this year would22 come, irrespective of the change in23 administrations and that we would need --24 that we would need this help also with25 310 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 this plan to cut -- certainly to get rid2 of Ridge Shelter; that's no news, either,3 which is another tragedy for 340 men,4 when we don't have anything.5 I know it's more popular to do6 smaller shelters. But the issue is, you7 know, that people don't disappear. And8 we have to have safe, clean, well-cared-9 for people and facilities that offer the10 best possible kind of care.11 And we really are concerned12 about what happens, and we're asking you13 to ask the Administration to come up with14 plans as to what's going to happen.15 I mean, we have our night16 programs. And often, they don't last in17 the summer. And in the summer, we18 realize that more people, more homeless19 people, prefer to be outside than inside.20 But it still doesn't lend for21 the best situation in our city because22 all of the people who come here, who23 visit here, complain, and then the24 Administration has the other problem.25 311 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 So it behooves us all. We have2 to do what we can to have specific3 problems to deal with the population that4 we know exists.5 Madam President, I say it every6 year. We know who our homeless are, we7 know where they are. We know everything8 about them. We have their case history.9 We're not someplace big that10 accepts them like New York. In New York,11 they accept 'em. They have job training,12 they have places just for vets, you know,13 a place as big as the Convention Center14 just for vets.15 We have a couple years where we16 pay for their lodging and job training at17 the same time because they accept that18 there are people who, through fire,19 through domestic problems, through all20 kinds of reasons, who have issues with21 where they stay.22 And I think that our city has23 not yet arrived to the point where we24 accept this as part of life and25 312 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 something -- all of those who deal with2 it, you know, certainly, Ms. Mintz and3 all of her crew realize, this but our4 city has to accept the fact that this is5 an issue that we will have to deal with6 and plan for these eventualities and plan7 when we know problems may occur.8 So what I'm asking is that you9 would send to the Chair a plan as to what10 we will do, given cuts, if they are cut,11 and what -- and given the cuts that are12 mentioned here about what this department13 is supposed to do with homeless people on14 the streets of Philadelphia.15 (Applause.)16
We are17 very committed to this issue. The late18 Lucien Blackwell started homelessness as19 an agency being funded during the20 beginning of the Rizzo years. And we21 still believe that in a city as great as22 ours, we should not have people who still23 have to sleep in subways or on the24 streets, on benches and parks. It25 313 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 shouldn't be that way.2 (Applause.)3
And I4 continue to hope that one of these days,5 while I am still here, that we will see a6 plan for everybody such that the only7 people in the streets would be a person8 who's had a fire that day or evicted that9 day or had a problem at home that day10 because we have a plan for everybody else11 we see out there.12 (Applause.)13
So we14 are prevailing to you to have a plan15 submitted to the President of Council16 that will address all of these issues so17 that we know what the plans are.18 There always should be some19 areas that are exempt from cuts;20 homelessness should be one. My goodness,21 people have to eat, people have to have22 someplace to stay. This is one of those23 areas that we believe should be exempt.24 Since it is not, then the25 314 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 second-best thing is that we have a plan2 to address all cuts. And, again, we3 request that that be submitted to the4 President.5
Sure. We are6 working on that as we speak, so we'd be7 happy to, when we're completed with that,8 submit that to the Chair.9
Thank10 you.11 Thank you, Madam President.12 COUNCIL PRESIDENT VERNA:13 You're welcome.14 Since there is no one else15 to -- I don't think anyone else here has16 any questions beside you and me.17 So thank you. We appreciate18 your testimony. Thank you.19
It's been a20 pleasure working with you. I wish you21 all the best in your retirement.22
Thank23 you. Thank you so much.24 This committee will stand in25 315 4.20.11 COMM. OF THE WHOLE - BILL 1101371 recess until Tuesday, April the 26th, at2 10 o'clock.3 (Proceedings end at 4:18 p.m.)4 * * *5 6 316 C E R T I F I C A T E2 I HEREBY CERTIFY that the4 proceedings of the City of Philadelphia5 Council Committee of the Whole are contained6 fully and accurately in the stenographic notes7 taken by me on Wednesday, April 20, 2011, and8 that this is a true and correct statement of9 same.10 _________________________________ JOSEPHINE CARDILLO Registered Professional Reporter15 (The foregoing certification of21 this transcript does not apply to any22 reproduction of the same by any means, unless23 under the direct control and/or supervision of24 the certifying reporter.)25