Former CEO of San Francisco homelessness nonprofit faces felony charges over alleged $1.2 million diversion

Charges center on alleged diversion of city-funded program money from a long-time Bayview-based provider

San Francisco prosecutors have filed felony charges against Gwendolyn Westbrook, 71, the former chief executive of the United Council of Human Services, a nonprofit that held major city-funded roles in homelessness and supportive-housing services. The case alleges Westbrook diverted more than $1.2 million in public funds, with investigators also alleging additional withdrawals from organizational accounts that remain unaccounted for.

Westbrook is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. The charging document includes nine felony counts: one count of misappropriation of public funds, three counts of grand theft, one count of presenting a false invoice for payment, and four counts of filing false California tax returns for tax years 2020 through 2023. Prosecutors also allege a separate theft amount of $91,000.

How the alleged scheme worked, and the timeframe prosecutors outlined

Authorities say the alleged misconduct occurred between 2019 and 2023, during a period when the nonprofit was delivering city-funded services intended for people experiencing homelessness and low-income residents. Prosecutors allege Westbrook moved money from organizational accounts to herself through undocumented cash withdrawals, self-issued payments, and reimbursement practices they describe as fraudulent. The case also alleges false invoicing and false state tax filings.

Westbrook had been unable to be reached for comment in initial reporting after the charges were announced. The case is at an early stage, and the allegations have not been tested in court.

City audit findings preceded criminal referrals and contract scrutiny

The criminal case follows heightened scrutiny of the organization’s financial controls over multiple years. In November 2022, the City’s Controller’s Office announced the results of an audit concluding the nonprofit had not complied with city agreements tied to homelessness and supportive-housing services. The audit was requested by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, which, through grants to a fiscal sponsor, contracted with the organization to provide nearly $28 million in housing and support services.

The Controller’s Office described the 2022 audit as raising serious concerns for city leadership and noted that a prior audit conducted in 2017 had found similar fiscal oversight issues. City officials indicated the audit findings would inform decisions about whether services should be transitioned to a different community-based provider, and the Controller’s Office said it would follow up periodically on unresolved recommendations.

What comes next

• Arraignment: Westbrook is expected to enter a plea at her first court appearance.
• Evidence review: The prosecution and defense will litigate access to financial records, invoices, and tax filings that underlie the charges.
• Service continuity: City agencies overseeing homelessness contracts face ongoing decisions about vendor oversight, fiscal sponsorship arrangements, and continuity of services for residents relying on contracted programs.

The case places renewed attention on how San Francisco structures and monitors large public contracts delivered through nonprofit providers, particularly when services are delivered via fiscal sponsorship and involve multiple layers of financial administration.