In another indication of the potential for corruption in the 2.4 billion New York City spends annually on housing the homeless, meet Jocelyn Carter.
Placed in a top homeless services job in the de Blasio years, Carter appears to have violated the city’s conflict-of-interest law. His sister firm has 17 contracts with the agency worth $1.7 billion, according to the city comptroller’s office.
Sister, Valerie Smith, of Yonkers-based WestHab Inc. is the vice president of New York City Housing Programs, which operates homeless shelters in the city. Even if he got the job after Carter’s promotion, alarms should have gone off.
But the de Blasio years under Commissioner Steven Banks raised many doubts about the city’s homeless spending, opening the door to crooked social service and shelter operators.
The bribery arrest of the CEO of the city’s largest shelter provider was a clue; Pals-on-the-payroll scandal at yet another “non-profit”. The Post identified dozens of suspicious arrangements.
And now the city spends $4.6 million a day housing and feeding illegal immigrants, offering enormous potential for insider bargaining.
Heck, even the nepotism angle with the Carter-Smith sisters isn’t unique: Comptroller Brad Lander’s office, which flagged the issue, has dozens of nonprofits affiliated with a group run by his wife, Meg Barnett. Reviews city contracts with organizations.
With only 8 million residents, New York City’s budget is larger than almost all of the US state. This leaves many opportunities for nonprofit profiteering.
