We reviewed the U.S. Department of Housing and Development’s (HUD) process for ensuring that grantee public housing agencies (PHA) receiving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) Capital Funds complied with Section 152 of the 2005 Energy Act. We reviewed this process because during a recent Recovery Act audit we identified some non-Energy Star compliance and premature replacement purchases and during 2008 grantees paid $...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited HUD's multifamily housing subsidy payment review process based upon a HUD employee’s complaint. The complaint alleged that HUD lacked controls over its multifamily housing subsidy payment review process and voucher specialists were understaffed and underpaid. Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD had adequate controls over its...

We audited the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer’s (procurement office) administration of interagency agreements (IAAs). This audit was part of our fiscal year 2010 audit plan because of congressional hearings on the use and management of IAAs throughout the Federal Government. Our objective was to determine whether the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) effectively administered its IAAs and the costs to procure these...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) compliance with obligation deadlines and progress toward meeting expenditure requirements related to eight programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The objectives of our review were to determine whether HUD obligated ARRA funds in accordance with applicable deadlines and to assess HUD’s oversight of grantees’ expenditure of ARRA funds...

We audited the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 232 program as part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) goal of contributing to the improvement of HUD’s execution and accountability of fiscal responsibilities. Our objective was to determine whether HUD had implemented adequate controls to properly monitor Section 232-insured mortgages. We found that HUD’s Office of Healthcare Programs had taken steps to...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) preclosing and postclosing loan review of new Federal Housing Administration (FHA) direct endorsement lenders to determine whether HUD followed its guidance when (1) reviewing the initial loans underwritten by new FHA direct endorsement lenders and (2) performing the postendorsement technical review of all of the initial loans endorsed by newly approved direct endorsement...

We audited the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) National Servicing Center’s (NSC) Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) as a part of our annual audit plan. Our objective was to determine whether the NSC implemented and operated FHA-HAMP in accordance with rules and regulations. Overall, the NSC implemented and operated FHA-HAMP in accordance with the necessary rules and...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) controls over selected configuration management (CM) activities. This audit was based on work performed during our fiscal year 2009 and 2010 reviews of information system security controls in support of the annual financial statement audits. During those audits, we identified weaknesses in security controls over selected CM activities. HUD had processes and procedures for...

In January 2010, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) began Operation Watchdog, an initiative to review the underwriting of 15 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) direct endorsement lenders having default and claim rates indicating lender performance problems. The FHA Commissioner had expressed concern regarding the increasing default and claim rates against the FHA insurance fund...

HUD OIG conducted a survey of HUD’s Supportive Housing Program (SHP); specifically, the monitoring of nonprofit subgrantees (project sponsors) that deliver supportive housing and/or supportive services.  We wanted to assess whether SHP grantees followed Federal regulations and HUD guidance on monitoring project sponsor activities and program expenditures. We also wanted to look at HUD’s role in the grantees monitoring of project sponsors....

We have completed an audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) information security program. We evaluated whether HUD’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) had developed security policies, implemented procedures, and continuously monitored its entitywide information system security program. We performed this audit because it is a required component of our fiscal year 2010 consolidated financial statements...

We reviewed Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loan settlement documents from two branches of DHI Mortgage Company, LTD (DHI Mortgage), in Arizona. During a previous audit of loan origination by the same branches (audit report number 2009-LA-1018), there was information indicating that the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Act) might have been violated; however, we were unable to report on the issue at the time. Our review...

We audited the City of Mesa’s (grantee) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP1) grant to determine whether the grantee administered the grant in accordance with HUD’s program requirements. The audit was started primarily because the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) audit plan includes objectives to review Housing and Economic Recovery Act grantees and because staff from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of...

We conducted an audit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) oversight of public housing authorities’ (authority) energy conservation procedures through energy performance contracting (EPC) in the states of New York and New Jersey (Region 2). We initiated the audit as part of the activities in our 2010 annual plan. The audit objectives were to determine whether HUD had adequate controls to ensure that (1) the costs of EPC...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) process for hiring employees in accordance with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidelines. The audit was initiated due to concerns about whether HUD addressed the staffing needs of its Homeownership Centers in a timely manner to address significant increases in single family mortgage workload. Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD effectively hired...

We audited the District of Columbia’s (grantee) administration of its HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) at the request of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Affordable Housing. This is our second and final of two reports issued in relation to the grantee’s administration of its HOME program. The objective addressed in this report was to determine whether the grantee properly administered its HOME...

We conducted an annual limited scope review of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) compliance with Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13520, Reducing Improper Payments. HUD was in general compliance with EO 13520 annual reporting requirements. We concluded that HUD's ongoing efforts in mitigating the risks of improper payments in the rental housing assistance programs were progressing in a positive direction....

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's ability to comply with the requirements of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-127, which was revised in January 2009 and became effective on October 1, 2009. We conducted the audit as a component of the audit of HUD's consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2010 under the Chief Financial Officer's Act of 1990. We found that HUD did not fully...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited HUD’s oversight of public housing agencies’ Section 8 Project-Based Voucher programs (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2010 annual audit plan and our strategic plan to help HUD resolve its major management challenges. Our objective was to determine whether HUD had adequate oversight of public housing agencies’...

In this report, we provide additional details to supplement our Report on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fiscal Years 20010 and 2009 Financial Statements, which is included in HUD's Fiscal Year 2010 Agency Financial Report. In OIG's opinion, based on our audit and the reports of other auditors, the financial statements were presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with accounting...