City plans to audit homeless services contracts

Agreements with nonprofits and community organizations will be evaluated to ensure the city is getting the most for its money

Long Beach will conduct an audit of its various agreements with homeless services providers, officials announced Wednesday, to ensure the city is getting the most bang for its millions of bucks.

The audit will include reviewing all the contracts with nonprofits and community organizations related to mental health, short-term housing and case management for unhoused people that are currently in place with the city's Department of Health and Human Services and its Homeless Services Bureau, the announcement said.

That will include contracts with three of Long Beach's major service providers, according to Meghan King, spokesperson for the City Auditor's Office.

“This audit will look to ensure best practices are being implemented as homeless services are being expanded,” City Auditor Laura Doud said in the release. “We found that the city has significantly increased the amount of funding for agreements with homeless service providers over the last five years.”

The city, for example, spent more than $18 million on contracts with homeless service providers during fiscal 2022, the announcement said.

The current city budget for fiscal 2023, meanwhile, carved out about $77 million for homelessness prevention, including about $20 million intended to fund physical and mental health care access for unhoused folks and $6 million to operate the Multi-Service Center.

Long Beach also has increased its investment in homelessness reduction programs, expanding services and more since officials declared a local emergency on homelessness in January, and the issue likely will play a large role in the city's fiscal 2024 budgeting process, which is currently underway.

The audit will review each contract with various services providers, the announcement said, to ensure the agreements are properly fulfilled. It'll also take a look at the collaboration and contracting process between the city and its service providers in general.

“Meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness is of utmost importance,” health department Director Kelly Colopy said in the announcement.

“Our team works hard to ensure that every organization with which we contract provides high-quality service to people experiencing homelessness, and we welcome additional review by the City Auditor's Office.”

Doud's office, King announced, is expected to complete the audit and release the results in early 2024.