City Controller: Philly Mismanaged Funds For Helping Homeless - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

City Controller: Philly Mismanaged Funds For Helping Homeless

An audit by Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz reveals the city may have mismanaged its funds meant to help the homeless.

According to the audit put together by Controller Alan Butkovitz, the Office of Supportive Housing poorly maintained financial records and was not compliant over the account that holds funds for the city's homeless population to receive assistance.

The audit found the unclaimed account, called the Client Savings Account, had a balance of more than $105,000 representing nearly 900 homeless accounts.

Butkovitz says the savings account only contained funds for clients who were no longer in the shelter system, meaning the OSH maintained control of the unclaimed account. According to Butkovitz, the OSH was supposed to either find and return the money to the homeless served or remit the amounts unclaimed after one year to the city's Revenue Department to deposit into an unclaimed money fund.

"These are monies owed to the city's most vulnerable, and in many cases they are funds that can mean life or death for many of these individuals," Butkovitz said in a statement released Wednesday.

"If the money isn't getting to the former clients, then the city has the responsibility to follow proper procedures and regulations."

You can download a copy of the audit on the Philadelphia City Controller's website.