Knabe Urges L.A. County to Stop Sending Mail to Itself 

On Tuesday, Fourth District Supervisor Don Knabe put forth a motion to address federal regulations requiring the county’s Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) to send mail to itself.  

Under the federal guidelines, DPSS must send paper mail to all those who receive general relief or food stamps, and some homeless recipients use the DPSS district office as their address. According to Knabe, as a result of this an estimated one million pieces of mail go back to the DPSS each year, sitting there until the recipient comes to pick it up. Sometimes, it takes weeks for the recipient to visit the office, and it is difficult then for workers to find the mail.

“The county has unprecedented demands on our programs due to the ongoing economic situation, so we must ensure that we are using our limited resources for the people and services who need them most,” said Knabe in a statement. “Sending mail to ourselves clearly does not meet the standard of using resources wisely. While the regulation may be well-intentioned, we need more flexibility at the federal level. I’ve also asked the department to look at a better way of ensuring that participants receive their mail in a more timely and cost-effective manner.”