The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Office of Inspector General audited the Idaho Housing and Finance Association’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program because HUD had not performed a comprehensive monitoring review of Idaho Housing’s program since 2007 and it received approximately $6 million in HOME grants from HUD in each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010. The objective of our review was to determine whether Idaho Housing complied with HOME project and cost eligibility requirements.

Idaho Housing did not always comply with HOME project and cost eligibility requirements. Specifically, it (1) did not always inspect acquisition and acquisition and rehabilitation projects for compliance with property standards and (2) disbursed HOME funds to borrowers for ineligible and unsupported costs. We recommend that HUD require Idaho Housing to perform or procure independent inspections for property standards requirements and require owners to make necessary repairs. If repairs are not made within a reasonable time, Idaho Housing should be required to reimburse its HOME trust fund from non-Federal funds for the more than $2.6 million expended on these projects. In addition, Idaho Housing should be required to reimburse its HOME trust fund from non-Federal funds for about $58,000 expended on ineligible costs, provide supporting documentation for any portion of nearly $400,000 of expenditures which it cannot support as being eligible, implement effective policies and procedures, and receive technical assistance from HUD.