Budget office audit finds gaps in HSH contracting, monitoring and data; new director outlines fixes

The Budget & Legislative Analyst’s (BLA) 2020 performance audit of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) was the subject of a July 1 hearing before the Government Audit & Oversight Committee. The BLA summarized findings across governance, staffing, contracting, program monitoring and information systems and recommended formalizing monitoring, improving data systems and strengthening stakeholder oversight.

Amanda Guma of the BLA told the committee the audit found the department carried unspent funds in provider contracts (about 16–17% of revised budgets in the years reviewed), lacked consistent program monitoring documentation for many contracts, had experienced elevated vacancy rates at the time of the audit, and did not have comprehensive unit‑level housing inventory in its 1System data platform. "We recommended that the department immediately prioritize the development of internal policies and procedures" for program monitoring, she said.

HSH Director Shereen McSpadden responded that the department has made progress since the audit: it has created a cross‑division work group with the controller’s office to develop a monitoring manual and training, prioritized hiring (noting a substantial reduction in vacancies), negotiated a Bitfocus contract to expand the 1System to include unit‑level inventory, and plans a strategic planning process and improved stakeholder engagement. Provider representatives who spoke in public comment urged ongoing dialogue about performance metrics and data usability.

Chair Supervisor Marr thanked the BLA and HSH for the update; the committee filed the hearing record.