Cheh Calls on Attorney General to Investigate Homeless Shelter Food Contracts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2019
Communications Director: Kelly Whittier
Cheh Calls on Attorney General to Investigate Homeless Shelter Food Contracts
Letter to the Attorney General details multiple irregularities with food service contracts awarded to Henry’s Soul Café
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, April 1st, Councilmember Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) released a letter sent to Attorney General Karl Racine on March 22ndrequesting an investigation into food service contracts awarded by The Community Partnership (TCP). As first reported by the Washington City Paper, in 2018 TCP awarded the bulk of the District’s food service contracts for homeless shelters to Henry’s Soul Café despite Henry’s being substantially underbid by another, longstanding local vendor.
“When taking a closer look at the TCP’s most recent food service contracting process, I found multiple seemingly inexplicable and concerning irregularities. Not only was Henry’s substantially underbid by a competitor, but the company’s registered address used to receive additional Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) contracting points is also owned by a corporation subject to an Auditor’s report regarding potentially fraudulent CBE registrations. Further, in 2016, Henry’s was paid over $7 million by TCP to provide shelter food services –making it the second highest compensated vendor for homeless services behind Catholic Charities, which was fully operating multiple shelters.
These factors raise the concern that the District government may have been defrauded, perhaps in multiple respects. While fraud is a great concern for me, the potential mismanagement of contracts intended to provide critical services to the District’s homeless community is especially egregious,” said Councilmember Cheh.
Today’s letter release precedes legislation that will be introduced by Councilmember Cheh at the April 2nd Legislative Meeting to modify shelter food service vendor requirements and contract management.
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