We reviewed Seneca Mortgage’s servicing of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgages and its implementation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Loss Mitigation program.  We selected Seneca Mortgage based on the results of our single-family risk assessment.  The objective of the audit was to determine whether Seneca Mortgage complied with HUD’s Loss Mitigation program requirements and...

We completed a review of the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority’s administration of its public housing program.  We selected the Authority based on a management request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) New York Office of Public Housing.  The Authority was designated as a troubled housing authority and had indicators of noncompliance with program requirements, such as using program funds to pay...

We completed a review of the City of New York, Office of Management and Budget’s administration of the Interim Assistance Rapid Repairs Program, funded with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist in the disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts resulting from Hurricane Sandy.  The objective of the audit was to determine whether City...

(REISSUED February 17, 2017) We audited the Town of Amherst’s Housing Choice Voucher program administered through a contractor, Belmont Housing Resources for Western New York, to address our audit plan priority to ensure that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) public and Indian housing programs are sufficiently administered by public housing agencies (PHA).  We selected this auditee based on a risk analysis of...

We audited the Tarrytown Municipal Housing Authority’s administration of its public housing program based on an Office of Inspector General risk assessment.  The objectives of the audit were to evaluate the Authority’s financial controls to determine whether (1) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds were used for eligible, reasonable, and supported expenses and (2) adequate financial controls were maintained to...

We completed a review of the City of New York, Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations’ administration of the Build it Back Single Family Program, funded with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist in the disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts resulting from Hurricane Sandy.  The objective of the audit was to determine...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) resident home-ownership program grant for West Park Place Condominium (project) based on the results of a risk assessment of multifamily housing programs in Region 5’s jurisdiction (States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and the activities in our fiscal year 2016 annual audit plan.  Our objective was to determine whether the West Park...

We audited Mortgage Services III, LLC, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved direct endorsement lender, as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2016 annual audit plan.  We selected Mortgage Services for review based on an analysis of data in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Single Family Data Warehouse system  for single-family lenders with home offices in Region 5’s jurisdiction. ...

We audited Folts, Inc.’s management of the Folts Adult Home and Folts Home projects to address our concern with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-assisted health care facilities.  We selected this auditee as the result of a risk assessment of nursing homes located in New York State, which considered HUD’s risk indicators and factors such as loan default; internal control issues; and financial statements not being filed...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisted the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York, in the civil investigation of Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, also known as M&T Bank.  M&T Bank has its principal place of business in Buffalo, NY.   On March 19, 2013, a former employee of M&T Bank...

We audited the New York State Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) assistance-funded New York State Tourism and Marketing program based on the amount of funds drawn down to date and weaknesses identified in prior Office of Inspector General audits.  State officials allocated $30 million in CDBG-DR funds to the Tourism and Marketing program, of which $22.4 million had been obligated and disbursed as of September 30...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York in the civil investigation of Pilgrim Village Associates, L.P.; North-Ellicott Management, Inc.; and Trammell Property Management (Pilgrim Village). Pilgrim Village Associates, L.P., was the owner of Pilgrim Village Apartments, a 90-unit multifamily housing development located in...

We audited the Rochester Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher program to address our goal to contribute to improving the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) execution of its fiscal responsibilities.  We selected this auditee based on a risk analysis of public housing agencies administered by the HUD Buffalo field office, which considered, among other factors, funds received and the number of program housing units...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General, audited the Alton Housing Authority because it appeared to have flat rents set at a rate below 80 percent of the fair market rent in that area based on the information available in the Public and Indian Housing Information Center system.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority complied with HUD’s flat rent requirements. The Authority did...

We completed a review of the State of New York Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery’s administration of the Small Business Grants and Loans program funded with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The objectives of the audit were to determine whether State officials (1) approved and disbursed CDBG-DR funds for the Small Business Grants...

We audited the City of New York, Office of Management and Budget’s administration of its Temporary Disaster Assistance Program (TDAP) funded with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist in the disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts resulting from Hurricane Sandy.  The disaster recovery funds were authorized by Congress under the...

We performed the 20th review of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s (LMDC) administration of the $2.783 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery funds awarded to the State of New York in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.  The objective of the audit was to determine whether LMDC disbursed CDBG Disaster Recovery funds in accordance...

We audited the City of Rochester’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to address our audit plan priority to improve financial management controls over CDBG grants.  We selected this grantee based on a risk analysis of grantees administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Buffalo field office, which considered funds received and the risk score assigned by HUD.  The City received more than $...

We reviewed the City of Niagara Falls’ Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.  We selected this auditee based on our risk assessment of CDBG grantees administered through the Buffalo, NY, field office, which considered the City’s funding, HUD’s risk assessment of the City, and prior Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits.  The City received more than $2.2 million in each of its program years 2013 and 2014; was ranked...

We audited EdgeAlliance, Inc.’s Continuum of Care program funds for The Daniel R. Ruscitti Phoenix House (project).  The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan.  We selected the project for review based upon a citizen’s complaint.  Our objectives were to determine whether EdgeAlliance complied with Federal requirements in its (1) maintenance of financial management systems for program funds and...