Replacing the GA HSQRS with an HSS

On August 21, 2026, your 008 governing board met with DHA management to discuss their proposal to backfill the current HSQRS vacancy in General Assistance (GA) at Susie Gains with another HSS. Though the program is in dire need of more HSS to help offset the volume of intakes, the department is proposing the delegation of the HSQRS tasks to all of the HSS in GA. This would mean that HSS would be applying and removing sanctions and reviewing and processing monthly reports. These duties are outside of the classification of an HSS and fall within the duties of a HSQRS. As a result, we pushed back on management with a proposal:

• The department can go forward with hiring another HSS in GA, but the HSQRS duties will not be given to the GA HSS. The department must delegate these duties to HSQRS, and not our HSS.

Management has agreed to pause the distribution of these duties and will be coming up with a counterproposal soon. DHA has a habit of stacking “minor” duties onto our members, with the hope that they can keep staffing levels low and continue the workflow. This is unacceptable, as our people are already spread thin. We are pushing back as much as we can to protect our bargaining unit work and keep it where it belongs, whilst maintaining an equitable distribution.

UPE thanks advocates Nichole Gorman, Stephanie McCall, and Olivia Brown.

More to come. Stay tuned.