Chair Hudson questions DHS on capital projects and repair timelines
Hudson asks how many shelters need significant repairs. Fellini says DHS tracks 55 publicly owned buildings but does not readily track private buildings; 268 new needs are pending for 95 shelters.
And then I know, Commissioner, you referenced the capital program and specific projects as well as funding.
I'm wondering if there are shelters that need significant repairs and how many and how long will the repairs take?
Thank you for the question.
As the Commissioner mentioned, we do have quite a few capital projects for our 55 publicly owned buildings.
When it comes to privately owned buildings, that is not something that we readily track.
So we can't answer for the remainder of the over 500 buildings in the DHS portfolio how many need significant repairs.
So there's no process that exists where you all are aware of significant capital needs in privately owned shelters?
There are processes.
And one thing we can point to, it's not a perfect...
Answer to the question, but one proxy, is our new needs process.
So as the Commissioner mentioned, when a privately owned building needs significant repairs that cannot be funded through their budget, we understand what the scope is and we make a request to OMB.
That's the new needs process.
We currently have 268 new needs pending in various statuses for 95 shelters.
That will include things that are likely not serious, but it does give us some sense of the scope.
So that's just broad new needs, not...
Facility-related new needs.
Right.
But that could be...
Doors to shower stalls or something like that as opposed to roof repairs.
There's no way to parse out.
And we'd have to do that.
Our data system, we're working on some enhancements to better allow us to analyze the data rather than having to read every single request.
But routine repairs like replacing a shower door normally come out of the provider's budget.
Every provider, if they have maintenance.
So it wouldn't be considered a new need in this particular case.
Just again, as a proxy for Sirius.
Right.
New need is a proxy for serious, you're saying.
Most of the time, yes.
But serious as determined by the owner of the building, the private operator?
No, the provider and DHS.
Oh, and DHS.
So the provider, this is coming from our contracted providers that say, listen, I'm maxed out in my maintenance line or my maintenance budget does not allow for this major repair.
We agree, we look at the scope, we look at the bids, and we request the funding from OMB.
Okay.
Thank you.