PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Multnomah County Auditor’s Office released an audit following up on recommended changes to the Joint Office of Homeless Services — finding the office is addressing most of the auditor’s concerns, but a conflict of interest remains.

The audit, which was released Tuesday and follows up on a 2023 audit, found one recommendation has been implemented, while five are in process and two have not been addressed by the JOHS — which is now the Homeless Services Department, tasked with operating shelters and coordinating homeless outreach services.

The one recommendation that the office has implemented was hiring contract management specialists. According to the county, auditors made this recommendation, so the office did not have to rely on an outside department for contracting assistance and to help homeless service providers receive timely and complete contracts.

Next, the Auditor’s Office discovered five of its recommendations are in process within the Joint Office. These recommendations include scheduling regular communication between homeless service systems – including between Joint Office staff and homeless service providers – along with updating processes so payments are reviewed but do not prevent invoices from being processed.

Other recommendations in process include creating criteria to change performance measures to ensure fairness among providers, sending regular communications to address policies and goals, and training staff to review equity plans submitted by providers.

While some recommendations were implemented, or in process, two have not been implemented, according to the audit. This includes removing a conflict of interest from the program specialist role.

Auditors said the conflict-of-interest spurs from the role because specialists are both an advocate for homeless service providers and are supposed to hold the providers accountable for meeting performance measures.

The audit notes that this was a recommendation that the Joint Office previously disagreed with.

“The Joint Office did not agree with this recommendation, although they said they acknowledge and understand the importance of maintaining a balanced approach of advocating for service needs and holding service providers accountable for their contractual commitments,” The audit says. “The Joint Office said they provide routine discussions about strategies for balancing those dual roles occurring between program staff and program management, which includes reviews of best practices and tools, as well as problem solving.”

Despite JOHS disagreeing with the recommendation, the audit highlights some staff concerns with the conflict of interest that were described in an auditor’s survey with employees.

According to the audit, one JOHS staff member stated, “(Program) teams we providers work with…regard themselves as advocates for providers but are still expected to enforce contract requirements.”

Another JOHS staffer noted, “It seems now that (Joint Office staff) are being put in a position where they aren’t able to support us in key ways anymore and we are struggling.”

Additionally, the Joint Office has not implemented a recommendation to direct executive management to communicate their strategies to providers and staff.

According to a survey from the Auditor’s Office, JOHS staff said less than half of homeless service providers “did a good job” providing a countywide strategy for addressing homelessness in 2024.

The audit acknowledged the “challenging environment” faced by homeless services providers in Multnomah County, noting, “Despite the political and public pressures of the homelessness crisis within the county and throughout the United States, they have demonstrated a commitment to helping people who are experiencing hardship.”

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, a spokesperson for the Homeless Services Department said, “The Homeless Services Department is glad this report confirms we’ve made progress on implementing most of the recommendations from the 2023 audit. This coincides with the progress Multnomah County is making that is delivering better outcomes, helping a record number of people leave the streets for shelter and housing.”

“We also acknowledge that we still have work to do to improve how we communicate our policies and vision. It may take time to have the desired impact for all staff and providers,” the spokesperson continued. “Coordinating and communicating to a network of over 70 providers is work that will never be ‘done’ — it will require continuous improvement. We are committed to continuing to improve communication and coordination to our providers and staff, and to improve our communication of our strategic vision for reducing homelessness in Multnomah County.”