☆ More community leaders advocate for Doan/Batra homelessness audit
Momentum grows for implementing a comprehensive audit of how City of SJ spends millions upon millions of local taxpayer dollars on homelessness programs--spends that appear to have zip impact on solving the problem. Shane Patrick Connolly of the Santa Clara County GOP and Tobin Gilman, board member of Families and Homes SJ, chime in. An Opp Now exclusive.
Shane Patrick Connolly:
The City of San Jose has an excellent provision in its charter - a City Auditor who performs various audits as directed by the City Council. Given the massive amounts of taxpayer money being spent on homelessness-related programs - with few obvious results, and in light of the State audit, it seems that a comprehensive audit of these programs is in order and can help inform more effective use of our tax dollars going forward. We know that the Housing First strategy pushed by some in the activist community - including activists within the City's Housing Department - has been a failure, and an audit can unveil what works better - things like Shelter First, triage, treatment, case management, dignified employment, and rebuilding relationships with friends and family.
--Shane Patrick Connolly, SCC GOP
Tobin Gilman:
It’s refreshing to see council members Batra and Doan working together to bring constructive change to the city’s costly and largely ineffective approach to the homelessness crisis. Residents want accountability and transparency. This proposal represents an important and long overdue step in the right direction.
—Tobin Gilman, Community leader and Families & Homes board member.
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