HUD OIG is auditing the National Servicing Center's partial claims tracking and collection. The FHA partial claim is a loss mitigation tool that helps borrowers keep their homes by advancing funds on behalf of the borrowers to reinstate delinquent FHA-insured mortgages. The objective of our audit is to determine whether the NSC serviced all due and payable partial claims in accordance with HUD rules and regulations. 

HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s FHA Claims Without Conveyance of Title (CWCOT) program, which is a disposition option for foreclosed FHA loans that allows third-party sales as an alternative to conveyance of the property to HUD. During fiscal year 2024, the CWCOT program had 11,285 claims totaling more than $419 million. Our audit objective is to assess whether HUD is appropriately demanding and collecting improper payments for CWCOT loans....

HUD OIG is conducting an audit of HUD’s HECM Life Expectancy Set Asides within the Office of Housing. In 2015, HUD set a requirement for some HECM borrowers to maintain a Life Expectancy Set Aside to pay for future property taxes, insurance premiums, and flood insurance on behalf of the borrower. Our objective is to determine if HUD’s HECM Life Expectancy Set Aside calculations are meeting program goals. 

HUD OIG is auditing HUD's efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing. To increase the affordable housing supply, HUD's Office of Single Family expanded the exclusive listing period to 30 days to increase the time owner-occupants, HUD-approved nonprofits, and governmental entities can view and bid on properties without competing with investor purchasers. Our audit objective is to determine whether HUD met intended outcomes to...

HUD OIG is auditing barriers impacting borrowers who were attempting to avoid FHA foreclosures. There were 85,000 FHA foreclosures started in 2022 following the conclusion of the COVID-19 foreclosure moratorium. Our audit objective is to assess the challenges facing FHA borrowers trying to avoid foreclosure.  

HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s monitoring of its Field Service Management (FSM) property preservation and protection services. Our review will involve the assessment of 80 monitoring sample items and cover the period of November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023. The objective of our audit is to determine if HUD adequately monitored its Field Service Management contractors’ property preservation and protection services. 

HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling. HUD’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan identified housing counseling as one of the strategies it would employ to achieve its strategic objective to advance sustainable homeownership. Our objective is to assess HUD’s processes for achieving its goal through pre- and post-purchase homeownership counseling, including the assessment of its use of performance metrics and the collection and use...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Single Family Housing’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Resource Center’s handling of housing discrimination inquiries.  We initiated the audit to assist HUD with ensuring that the FHA Resource Center (1) provided accurate and complete information on potential housing discrimination to its customers and (2) ensured that instances of potential...

HUD OIG is auditing the Office of Asset Sales’ HUD-Held Vacant Loan Sales (HLVS) program, which is another disposition option for defaulted, formerly FHA single-family reverse mortgage loans owned and competitively auctioned by HUD to reduce losses and improve recoveries to FHA’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. The HLVS 2022-1 sale was held in December 2021 and included 1,605 settled loans with an unpaid loan balance of $398.6 million...

HUD OIG is conducting an audit of HUD's Office of Single Family Housing's oversight of the COVID-19 foreclosure moratorium. Using a moratorium beginning March 18, 2020 through July 31, 2021, Section 4022 of the CARES Act temporarily prohibited foreclosures, with the exception of vacant or abandoned homes. Our audit objective is to determine if servicers followed the requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic foreclosure moratorium.

HUD OIG is auditing the Office of Asset Sales' HUD-Held Vacant Loan Sale (HVLS) program, which is another disposition option for defaulted FHA notes HUD uses to reduce losses and improve recoveries for FHA’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. In the HLVS 2022-2 part 1 sale, 703 loans were awarded to qualified mission-driven entities, representing $105.1 million in unpaid principal balance. The audit objective is to assess the extent to...

HUD OIG is auditing the Office of Single Family Housing's FHA appraiser roster, which is the list of individuals approved to conduct valuations for FHA-insured properties. HUD’s appraiser roster is the foundation for these valuations and consists of approximately 40,000 different appraiser IDs. The audit objective is to determine whether the appraiser roster is accurate and contains only eligible appraisers.  

HUD OIG is auditing the Office of Single Family Housing Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Resource Center.  The FHA Resource Center is a valuable and useful tool for consumers that provides answers to consumers' questions or concerns on a variety of topics, including housing discrimination.  Our objective is to assess whether the FHA Resource Center appropriately rerouted inquiries related to housing discrimination,...

HUD OIG is auditing the risk to the FHA fund from uninsured flood damage. The objective of this audit is to determine whether borrowers of FHA-insured loans maintained proper flood insurance coverage. This audit will cover FHA-insured forward and reverse mortgages active throughout calendar year 2020.

HUD OIG is researching prior audits of HUD’s Single Family Default Monitoring System to provide HUD information regarding lessons learned and risks identified in these prior audits.  The forbearances will result in increased claims filed against the insurance fund.  The lessons learned from prior audits identify what actions HUD should take now to ensure program integrity and mitigate the risk of financial loss for COVID-19...

HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s oversight of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refunds.  FHA insures mortgages to increase homeownership opportunities.  An upfront insurance premium, paid at the time of closing, is refundable if the loan ends early, whether through sale, foreclosure, or refinancing.  We received a hotline complaint describing roadblocks to obtaining refunds.  The audit objective is to determine whether...