How many times can the Greensboro City Council spend the same $3 million?
The answer to that question according to the report from Director of the Greensboro Housing and Neighborhood Development Department Michelle Kennedy is at least twice.
Kennedy gave a report at the City Council work session on Thursday, Oct. 27 about a new plan to provide permanent supportive housing. She said that the $3 million the City Council approved as a loan Partnership Homes for the purchase of the Regency Inn and Suites in November 2021 would be used to pay for support services under the new program with a new partner.
There was no explanation of how the $3 million loan made to Partnership Homes was going to be returned to the city, or how the loan was going to make the transformation into funds that could be spent for services and not the purchase of real estate. Kennedy said that Partnership Homes currently owned the Regency Inn.
It wasn’t mentioned that only $2.75 million of the loan was for the purchase of the Regency Inn, which appraised at $2.4 million. The $3 million loan also covered other costs including $40,000 for repair and cleanup, $75,000 for architectural design, testing, surveying, attorney’s fees, inspection, insurance, a phase 1 environmental report as well as a $100,000 administrative fee for Partnership Homes, $8,500 for furnishings and equipment and $66,000 for other expenses.
Regency Inn was used as an emergency shelter last winter and the plan is to use it as an emergency shelter this winter also. But according to Kennedy, the entire $3 million loan to Partnership Homes is available to pay Step Up America, the organization that Kennedy currently plans for the city to partner with to provide permanent supportive housing for the homeless.
Kennedy said that Step Up America planned to provide permanent supportive housing for 175 people in Greensboro and the cost to the city would be about $6,000 per person per year to pay for services. The $3 million that the city loaned to Partnership Homes would, according to Kennedy, be used to pay Step Up America for three years of services for the 175 people in permanent supportive housing.
Councilmember Sharon Hightower asked how the $3 million was going to be converted from the loan to Partnership Homes to payment for services to Step Up America.
Kennedy said, “We haven’t hammered out the best legal route to take yet.”
Lol…a bunch of liberal Democrats trying to handle your money plus cover their salary. Can’t wait to see the final cost of this liberal boondoggle.
$6,000 per person per year? $500 per month?
Once again, FUZZY MATH
Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs – This council is BS Crazy but as usual its not their money they are throwing around!
John,
Did you forget you are talking about the GSO City Lords & Ladies…I mean Council? They are magical creatures that can do anything with nothing…I mean with GSO citizens tax money.
Homeless is a term that brings to mind people who don’t earn enough to afford a place to live. So we think that we must create / build enough “affordable units”. But what about the mentally ill, the drug addicted and whatever category of reasons that people are “unhoused”? I believe that it is wonderful that our society has the means to allocate millions of dollars to relieve “problems”. Let’s also measure the results on a “dollars/person saved” basis.
Ye$, I’m $ure $he ha$ a plan.
Kennedy belongs back in LA, or jail. Definitely not our type…
Didn’t she lobby for her current job while still sitting on the City Council?
OK….so $3,000,000 of taxpayer money was allocated to a project with specific earmarks. Now suddenly that money is again in play and is to be allocated to someone totally different? Coincidentally, this re-direction of the money comes immediately after city council members asked for more information on the original project. Sounds to me like someone does not want to provide more information. I would suggest that if the money is unspent and available, it should be returned to the city. If Step Up America would like to provide a written proposal to the council for that money to be reallocated fine, but the money should not be reallocated by an un-elected official without direct council oversight well….sounding a little “Project Homesteadish” to me.
Who runs or owns these helpful organizations like Partnership homes? Who vets these organizations? How do you spend the same money twice? Follow the money to behind the curtain….I’m sure there are no shenanigans. What a farce and what a group of grifters and flim flam artists !
You lead by example. So Councilmembers should take in a homeless family, to be an example to us all.
Charity begins at home.
Problem solved- Provide them transportation to the Mayors and Councils residence were they are always welcomed with love and support by our ever popular Mayor and council. They should be able to provide jobs for those who want to work OR bus them to Florida where the weather warmer. No sense in staying here with the colder weather approaching. Council has millions of our tax dollars to waste, so put it to good use! Mayor, council-what is for Dinner???
Far cheaper to offer the homeless $500 in spending money and a plane ticket to a year-round comfortable climate. Southern California would be ideal.