Vinewood, Los Santos – Support for the Department of Human Services, or DHS, is a major key point multiple candidates bring up during election season. Individuals such as Norman Wren, Jon Chambers, Micheal Andino, and Ryyan Avery have all spoken publicly about their support.
Listening to some politicians paints a grim image of DHS’s current financial situation. To better understand this department’s challenges, Weazel News met with command staff member Miles Matthews.
When questioned about DHS’s finances, Mr. Matthews admitted that the current state of the treasury is decent and that DHS is not struggling. He mentioned the housing vouchers program as something he’s actively working on and spoke of his desire to acquire property for affordable subsidized housing.
Lack of space is an issue for DHS. They lack a proper office, and the entire complex only has a single fridge. They also often find themselves out of beds, an issue that could be resolved through the subsidized housing program.
The Department of Human Service’s only fridge at their complex. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Lafayette)
Staffing is one of the more significant issues DHS is facing. Mr. Matthews is actively recruiting social workers, offering training to interested parties with the necessary skill set. More staff also means that work on the various DHS programs can move forward faster.
Rehabilitation is another important aspect of DHS. Mr. Matthews expressed the desire to guide individuals looking to leave crime behind them by helping them find work and settle into a law-abiding life.
Concerning politicians, Mr. Matthews would like them to keep DHS in mind outside of election season.
“If I’m being completely honest, one of these things we hear a lot during election season is: “Hey, we want to help you guys out.” And then it kind of backs off during the rest of the government season, so I would like to see whoever is actually interested in helping DHS do so during the duration of their term.”
-Miles Matthews, Department of human services
He believes that elected representatives should regularly meet with him and the rest of the team to understand what DHS is working on and the priorities.
Creating and maintaining social programs also takes time as well as resources. While money is very useful, sometimes the needed resource is more akin to staffing. Ultimately, organizations like DHS can look great for photo shoots, but understanding and supporting the actual work that they do, even when it isn’t glamorous, is what they need.
Anyone wishing to work for DHS or know more about their work may contact one of their employees in the Fed Finder app for more information.