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Witness describes sanitation, food and safety failures at city shelters; council staff pledges follow-up
Summary
A parent who has used city shelters described pest infestations, poor food, staff misconduct and repeated overflow placements. Council staff said they would refer the speaker to the Office of Homeless Services for follow-up.
A witness who said she and her child had been in multiple city shelters testified that the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) is not adequately meeting families' needs, citing sanitation problems, poor meals and staff misconduct.
Quincy Blake told the Committee of the Whole that she encountered mice and roaches across four shelters and described inconsistent meal quality and insufficient dietary accommodation for children. She said staff at one shelter allegedly submitted false incident reports and that she and her child experienced extended overflow stays without stable placement.
"All of this money is flowing through OHS, and it's not going to the most important places," Blake said, asking council to re-evaluate hiring, contracting and program priorities at the agency. She called for more family-focused transitional housing and adjustments to income requirements and time limits that she said leave families unstable.
Council President Johnson's office said staff would gather contact information and asked the Office of Homeless Services director, who had recently participated in budget hearings, to work with Blake on individual case follow-up.
Blake's testimony was entered into the FY26 budget hearing record; council can request further oversight or programmatic changes during later committee work.
