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Committee backs $255,116 in grant funds to embed social workers in Problem Properties unit
Summary
The St. Louis City Health and Human Development Committee gave Board Bill 124 a favorable do-pass recommendation to accept approximately $255,115.69 in State Crisis Intervention Program funds to hire three social workers for the Problem Properties unit as a one-year pilot, with hiring and continued funding subject to future approvals.
Alderwoman Alicia Saulnier introduced Board Bill 124, which would accept approximately $255,115.69 in State Crisis Intervention Program (SIP) grant funds to hire social workers for the City of St. Louis Problem Properties unit, and asked the Health and Human Development Committee for a favorable recommendation.
The bill would fund three embedded social-worker positions — two frontline social workers and one supervising master-level social worker — to be integrated with the Problem Properties unit and to support the municipal prosecution special-assistance docket. "Board Bill 1 24 is the City of Saint Louis accepting $255,115.69, approximately, in order to hire social workers," Saulnier said during her presentation.
Mia Wood, attorney manager for the Problem Properties office in the City Councilor's office, told the committee the current enforcement-based approach often does not address underlying behavioral-health or housing-stability issues. "This grant will allow us to embed 3 licensed social workers directly into our work," Wood said, adding the municipal prosecution special-assistance docket handles "approximately 700 to over 1,000 cases each year involving defendants with significant behavioral health needs." Wood framed the proposal as a shift from reactive enforcement to early, coordinated intervention and follow-up.
Beau Richmond, health services manager and chief of the Behavioral Health Bureau for the City of St. Louis Department of Health, described the SIP-funded model as a way to add behavioral-health expertise and cross-department coordination. "This is a new program marking the first time the city has designed and implemented an initiative of this nature," Richmond said, noting expected outcome metrics such as fewer nuisance-property designations and faster issue resolution.
Committee members asked about program duration, coordination with existing police social-worker responses, hiring status and funding stability. Wood said the grant covers funding through 2027 (the exact month was not specified) and that the project is being treated as a pilot so the city could reapply or seek other funding afterward. Saulnier and others emphasized that the Problem Properties social workers would be dedicated to property-mitigation work rather than operating through the 911 social-worker queue. Wood said no permanent hires had been made yet; the office had used interns previously and would post positions after finalizing grant formalities.
A motion to remove the bill from hold ("unbank") was made and seconded, and later a motion to give Board Bill 124 a "do pass" recommendation carried by voice vote. The committee proceeded by voice vote and recorded affirmative responses; with three committee members present earlier in the meeting, the bill advanced with a favorable recommendation.
Committee members and presenters noted that federal funding priorities could affect long-term support for the program; as a result, the city plans to treat the work as a pilot and pursue continued funding or reapplication if the results justify it. The Department of Health and Problem Properties staff said they would track outcomes and report on metrics tied to nuisance-property designations, resolution timelines and community engagement.
The committee held an appointment for Andre Blaylock for a future hearing and adjourned the meeting.
