Councilmember Ginny Welsch on Tuesday formally requested that the city audit Metro’s Office of Homeless Services following months of public scrutiny over the department’s finances. Despite support from the mayor’s office and consistent budget allocations, OHS has struggled to make headway against homelessness in Nashville and lost the confidence of many local charities and nonprofit providers. Welsch has previously called for OHS Director April Calvin to resign, or be fired by the mayor, including in comments to the Scene.Â
The Metro Nashville Audit Committee will next meet on Sept. 23. Welsch tells the Scene that Metro auditor Lauren Riley confirmed her OHS request will be on that day’s agenda. The committee — as well as the Metro Office of Internal Audit — conducts or commissions financial investigations and audits related to the city’s various boards, departments, commission and employees. At the time of Welsch’s filing, the Office of Internal Audit was concurrently investigating $500,000 spent by OHS for “landlord engagement.”Â
The Office of Homeless Services is at the center of shaky citywide efforts as detractors call for director to be ousted
The audit request raises specific funding questions about department credit card reimbursements, miscoded contractor payments, federal grant compliance and a contract with national nonprofit service Depaul USA to operate Metro’s new Strobel House facility, which cost the city $700,000 more than initially budgeted. Welsch also requests more information on three issues at Strobel House — a fire, a stabbing and an employee injury — that she says possibly took place while Metro did not have an active contract with Depaul.
“There have been a lot of questions about what is happening at OHS under the leadership of April Calvin, and reports in committees don’t match what I’m hearing on the ground,” Welsch tells the Scene. “I don’t feel like we’re seeing results that you’d expect with such an influx of money. I hope this audit will bring to light any irregularities, if there are any. I hope that I’m wrong on all this, but I don’t think that I am. I trust Metro Audit will do the deep dive required here.”Â
"We take the administration of taxpayer funds very seriously and we've achieved significant progress on our mission to serve Nashville's most vulnerable neighbors with dignity, care, and accountability," reads a statement from OHS spokesperson Demetris Chaney sent to the Scene on Wednesday. "In just the last two years, we've helped move more than 3,800 people into permanent housing and 512 individuals directly from outdoor encampments indoors. While cities our size have seen homelessness increase by 36 percent, Nashville's increase has been only 2.4 percetn. These results reflect our commitment to using resources responsibly while keeping people at the center of our work. We are steadfast in this mission and will continue to respond to any questions or interest in our work by the Metro Council or other interested Metro entities."
See Welsch's audit request below.
