👩🏽‍💻This body, led by the Homelessness Action Network of Detroit since 1996, promotes community-wide strategies to end homelessness across Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.

📰Documenter @kayleighrenel has the scoop on CoC’s latest board member Alan Rosetto - who failed to disclose his status as a sex offender before being elected to the Board in Nov.
Rosetto was convicted of sexually abusing his 13-year-old stepdaughter.

💻 This afternoon’s meeting is held virtually, and the link to join can be found below along with the agenda:

It is meeting time! I'm just waiting to be let into the Zoom room

Still waiting... I did double-check my emails because I too noticed the "The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8." line in my last post
And this is the link I was sent on Feb. 2 when I registered for this meeting, so I think they just forgot to update an old room name.

Actually, ignore my last post.
An incorrect link was sent out to the public when registering for today's meeting.
I'm now in the correct Zoom room where Vice Chairperson Chelsea Johnson is going over a proposed timeline for the year

It looks like the entire first half of the agenda has already been presented.
We're now taking a 5-minute break.

Hopefully, the recording of this meeting will be made public so we can review the earlier proceedings
I didn't hear any acknowledgment of the incorrect Zoom link in the 5-6 minutes I've been present

I should also note this Board doesn't have a Chairperson currently.
According to last month's minutes, the former Chairperson's term expired in 2023 and none of the suggested replacements responded to emails about their interest in fulfilling the role

It looks like today is a vote to postpone the vote to next month - this survey was shared in the chat by Johnson for Board Members to vote by the end of the meeting
I'm not sure what the "rationale provided in the email" is

CORRECTION:
Chelsea Johnson is not Vice Chair of Coc. That role is held by Candace Morgan.

Secretary Erica George has passed the mic to member Dr. Gerald Curley to discuss 2024 Board Elections

Curley said a real conversation needs to be held around this election process in order for stakeholders to feel comfortable in their relationship with CoC

Curley is emphasizing respectful conversation in a transparent discussion and urges people to stay kind during their passionate conversations

Tasha Gray, CoC's Lead Appointee on behalf of HAND, is going over the principles of this body and its mission

"Housing First" is the philosophy that there is a housing crisis that must be addressed. Period.
*There is a bot that has entered the room showing graphic imagery*

It's also vital for the Board to lean into its vision, to solve the housing crisis on a racially equitable level.

Vice Chair Candace Morgan said it's vital that every member of this board is here because they are ready to make a change in the climate of homelessness.

Morgan said it's important for members to emphasize their individuality in addition to having the shared goals of being a CoC member.

Morgan said she's been involved with CoC since 1998, but something has happened in the last 6 months that she has never experienced before.

What I *believe* Morgan is generally referring to is the one-of-a-kind Detroit Homelessness Report that was published in October 2023 - reporting more than 8,000 homeless people in the city staying at shelters twice as long as in 2015
.

And homeless shelters in the city are struggling to keep up.

Morgan said she's proud of the work CoC has produced in recent years, and is excited for what is to come.

Morgan is apologizing if she's ever been apart of an unkind, unsafe environment for all perspectives - and wants to ensure that everyone feels safe to share their opinions at all times.

"We can't pick and choose who we're going to serve, we have to serve them (all) with dignity and respect," Morgan said.
Empathy is the key to succeeding in a role like this, she said.

There is a comment in the chat from member-at-large Sarah Rennie:
"If things are going to be authentic and transparent- all sides of this must be considered- 40% of persons in homelessness report victimization of some type"

Member-at-large Taura Brown said, "we are having a whole presentation to justify putting a sex offender on the board."

She is actively calling out Alan Rosetto and his child abuse allegations.
She said it is unfair that the Board is not being intentional with the mistakes it makes.
Rennie commented: "Many board members have also called me triggered by this conversation."

Brown said the Board is advocating for the sex offender but not advocating for the homeless population that suffers from abuse like this

Brown said these conversations never took place before Rosetto was elected to the Board... and it's pulling away from the mission of CoC.
"We can still serve sex offenders without serving in concert with them on the Board," Brown said.

Brown said she feels betrayed by the Board's failure to act and alleges if Rosetto was Black then he would be gone already.
She said he need to go today.

Morgan said there is work in committee being done behind the scenes to address the "things you mentioned"
She's also only referring to Rosetto and his allegations as "the issue" and said there is a legal process that must take place

Morgan said CoC has acquired legal council to assist with "the issue."

Shannon Tanis (not a board member) said that the Board electing Rosetto opens questions about them being deceptive in other areas.
She said she's willing to wait for the Governance Charter Code of Conduct update, but it can't be ignored

Tanis said the Board can do its own legal research without the help of aid.
"It's supposed to be common sense," she said.

*I should mention Rosetto is here, camera off*

Lydia Goddard, youth homelessness provider and board member said she's very aware of how new this problem is and needs to be addressed in an equitable, legal way.
But at the same time, the integrity of the Board is now at risk. She would like to know a clear timeline and process

Goddard said knowing what is going on and what the timeline is would help put many members at ease because right now being in limbo is weighing on many people's hearts.

*Many kudos in the chat for Goddard*

Morgan said she appreciated Goddard's time and energy.
That is the end of the discussion period on this topic.

From the discussion, it seems what board members want is transparency in the exec-board's process for rectifying the mistake of hiring Rosetto.
They acknowledge a legal barrier exists, and in treating sex offenders equitably as they are also a population CoC is serving.

But at the same time, many shareholders and clients CoC works with are holding the Board's integrity in question due to their haste in addressing Rosetto's hiring.
And board members themselves find it appalling that they are being asked to serve next to a "child rapist"

While Vice Chair Morgan never addressed Rosetto by name and only generally referred to an ongoing "issue" - she did say legal counsel has been acquired, and committee meetings are taking place to figure out the "next steps"

Morgan called the end of the meeting at 3:14 p.m.
This concludes my coverage of the Detroit Continuum of Care Board Meeting on Feb. 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. for #DetDocumenters

You can find more coverage at