The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of Opportunity in Living (OIL), Centennial, CO’s participation in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Single Family Property Disposition program.  Our audit objective was to determine whether OIL’s purchase of HUD-owned homes during the exclusive listing period violated HUD regulations at 24 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 291.  We…

We reviewed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Greensboro, NC, Office of Community Planning and Development’s approval of the City of High Point’s use of a 15 percent cost estimate margin.  The objective of this review was to determine whether HUD knowingly allowed the City to use the 15 percent margin.  HUD’s Greensboro, NC, Office of Community Planning and Development allowed the City to use the…

In accordance with our regional plan to review public housing programs and because of a complaint filed by a contractor with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and issues identified by HUD’s Office of Public Housing, we performed a review of the Hot Springs Housing Authority.  The contractor alleged that the Authority did not procure a contract in compliance with…

We reviewed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Affordable Housing Programs’ oversight of leases in HOME Investment Partnerships Program-funded rental housing projects.  The review was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan.  Our objective was to determine whether HUD’s Office had adequate oversight of participating jurisdictions to ensure that leases between…

We conducted further analysis of our reported findings in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) formula grant accounting did not comply with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), resulting in misstatements on the financial statements, and that HUD did not comply with the HOME Investment Partnership Act (also known as the HOME Statute).  The additional analysis was…

Because of an anonymous complaint, we reviewed the Housing Authority of Bexar County, TX.  The complaint included allegations of improper procurement, improper use of Authority funds, misuse of the Authority’s credit card, and violations of Housing Choice Voucher regulations.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority operated its public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs in accordance with the U.S.…

We conducted a review of the Chicago Housing Authority’s payments for outside legal services in conjunction with an ongoing internal audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) oversight of public housing agencies’ expenditures for outside legal services.  Our review objective was to determine whether the Authority made payments for outside legal services in compliance with applicable requirements. We…

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), conducted a limited review of the Oakland Housing Authority’s Moving to Work Housing Choice Voucher program’s use of exception payment standards exceeding the Authority’s 110 percent limit on fair market rents.  The review was initiated as a result of a congressional request alleging fraud, waste, and abuse by public housing agencies…

Because of concerns identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Public Housing, we performed a review of the Housing Authority of the City of Lockney.  HUD alleged that the Authority’s previous executive director had a conflict-of-interest and received ineligible payments.  Our objectives were to determine whether the Authority operated its public housing in accordance with HUD…

In accordance with our annual audit plan to review public housing programs and based upon our regional risk analysis, we reviewed the Covington Housing Authority’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations and its administrative plan.  The Authority generally…

Based on a referral from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Seattle Office of Labor Relations, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) performed a review of certain payrolls of the owner of Civic Construction, LLC, of Portland, OR.   The payrolls were subject to the Davis-Bacon Act. We completed the review and referred alleged violations to HUD’s Office of Program Enforcement for action under the…

HUD OIG assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, in the civil investigation of Group One Mortgage, Inc.  Group One’s principal place of business is located in Jupiter, FL.  Group One has participated in the FHA insurance program since 2004 and became a direct endorsement lender in 2005.  The direct endorsement program authorizes private-sector mortgage lenders to approve mortgage loans for FHA…

HUD OIG assisted in an investigation into alleged violations of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) regulations applicable to the direct endorsement program by Golden First Mortgage Corporation and its owner.  Golden First is a former FHA-approved mortgage lender, with its principal place of business located in Great Neck, NY.  Golden First participated in the direct endorsement program from 1989 until 2010.  As a…

HUD OIG assisted the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado, in the civil investigation of MetLife Bank, N.A.  MetLife had its principal place of business in Convent Station, NJ.  MetLife became an approved direct endorsement lender under HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) program on April 5, 2007.  The direct endorsement program authorizes private-sector…

HUD OIG conducted a civil investigation of an alleged loan origination fraud scheme involving a cash-out refinance loan that was insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).  FHA provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders to creditworthy borrowers.  Borrowers must occupy the properties as their primary residence for at least 1 year.  Borrowers certify to their intent to occupy the property…

We conducted a review of the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s compliance with Federal lobbying disclosure requirements and restrictions.  We found that the Authority engaged in the prohibited practice of using Federal funds for lobbying and a former executive director certified to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that it did not do so.  In addition, the former executive director falsely certified to…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) oversight of its Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program and found that contrary to program residency requirements, 37 borrowers were not living in the property associated with the loan and were renting the property to participants in HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.  Renting the properties to Section 8 program participants violated…

Based on a hotline complaint and additional work by our Financial Audit Division and Office of Legal Counsel, we reviewed whether a conflict of interest existed within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH). Specifically, former PIH Assistant Secretary Sandra B. Henriquez appointed Debra Gross, a former lobbyist and the deputy director of the Council of Large Public Housing…

We reviewed the City of Albuquerque, Department of Family and Community Services’ Continuum of Care program.  We initiated the review based on a complaint alleging misconduct in the City’s program.  Specifically, the complainant alleged the City’s Continuum of Care failed to comply with conflict of interest and procurement requirements, did not maintain accurate Homeless Management Information System reports, and expended…

We assisted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in conducting an investigation of SunTrust Mortgage, Inc.’s underwriting practices for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans.  On June 17, 2014, DOJ and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, along with 49 State attorneys general and the District of Columbia’s attorney general, filed suit against SunTrust for misconduct related to the origination and servicing of…