Public commenter accuses Office of Homeless Services of misrepresenting collaborative-applicant status; committee approves HUD grant amendment

Mr. Steve Ryder, a member of the National Davidson County Continuum of Care general membership, told the Planning and Zoning Committee during public comment that the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) has not been candid about its status as the Continuum of Care collaborative applicant and criticized OHS management and contract practices. "They have not been telling you the truth," Ryder said, citing an ongoing audit at a provider and a clause in OHS contracts that requires pre-clearance for media contact.

Why it matters: The item under discussion was a late-filed resolution to amend a federal Continuum of Care planning grant agreement so that the Office of Homeless Services would replace the original recipient as the grant recipient. That administrative change affects which local agency submits applications and manages planning funds tied to homeless assistance programs overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

OHS response: Raquel Deawitka, identified in the transcript as OHS's continuum-of-care manager, told the committee the Continuum of Care designated OHS as the collaborative applicant in November 2023 and that HUD has recognized the Office in that role. She said the Office has been transitioning systems and portal access from the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) to OHS and that administrative delays — including two federal shutdowns and other back-and-forth with HUD — have slowed the final switch. "We've been slowly working to shift over multiple processes," Deawitka said, and described the grant-change vote as the last piece needed to complete the transition.

Transcript-format note: The agenda caption and later remarks listed a dollar figure for the planning grant but the transcript formatting made the number unclear. The committee record approved the resolution to replace the original grant recipient with OHS; the chair announced a committee recommendation in favor (nine in favor, zero against, zero not voting).

What the committee did: After questions and the OHS explanation, the committee voted to recommend approval of the late-filed resolution to amend Continuum of Care planning-grant responsibilities to the Office of Homeless Services.

Next steps: The committee recommendation moves the amendment forward in the council process; the transcript did not record additional implementation details or a clear, reliably formatted grant amount.