We audited the Housing Authority of the County of Cook’s (Authority) nonprofit development activities. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2010 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority’s nonprofit development activities based on a citizen’s complaint forwarded to our office from the County of Cook, IL’s Office of the Independent Inspector General. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its...

We audited the Virginia Housing Development Authority (Authority) because it received $44.2 million in Tax Credit Assistance Program (Program) funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The Authority received the second largest amount of Program funds awarded in Region III. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its Program in accordance with Recovery Act and applicable U.S....

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), completed a review of loan origination practices of Anchor Mortgage Corporation (Anchor), Chicago, IL. Our objective was to identify violations of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements and the related losses incurred by HUD. Based on our review, HUD sued the lender and its owner under the False Claims Act. In August 2010, the court...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited the City of East St. Louis, Illinois’ (City) Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) program. Our objective was to determine whether the City properly verified the eligibility of Block Grant-funded housing rehabilitation recipients. We found that the City awarded Block Grant funds to 143 recipients without adequately verifying their...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the State of Illinois’ (State) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (Program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2010 annual audit plan. We selected the State based upon citizens’ complaints to our office. Our objectives were to determine whether the State (1) had the capacity to effectively and efficiently administer its Program...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General reviewed 20 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans that 1st Advantage Mortgage, LLC (1st Advantage), underwrote as an FHA direct endorsement lender. Our review objective was to determine whether 1st Advantage underwrote the 20 loans in accordance with FHA requirements. This review was conducted as part of our Operation Watchdog initiative to review the...

We audited the Fairfax, VA, branch office (branch office) of Prospect Mortgage, LLC (Prospect Mortgage), because it had one of the highest default rates for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved lenders for loans issued in the State of Maryland. Our objective was to determine whether Prospect Mortgage and its branch office complied with HUD regulations, procedures, and instructions in the origination and quality...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the DuPage Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority as part of our internal audit of HUD’s oversight of the program and based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing authorities in...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited the City of East St. Louis, Illinois’ (City) Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) program. Our objectives were to determine whether the City properly expended Block Grant funds for salaries and building expenses and followed proper procurement processes while awarding significant administration contracts. The City did not properly...

We audited the Yorkville Cooperative (Cooperative) based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Richmond Multifamily Program Center and a citizen complaint. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Cooperative administered its Section 221(d)(3) property and housing assistance contract according to its regulatory agreement and HUD requirements. The Cooperative did not administer its Section...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Chicago Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program) under its Moving to Work Demonstration program. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing agencies in Region V’s jurisdiction....

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the DuPage Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based on our internal audit survey of HUD’s oversight of the program and our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing authorities in Region V’s...

The East St. Louis Housing Authority will receive $4.9 million in Recovery Act funding to carry out capital and management activities at its public housing developments. HUD's Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluated the Authority's capacity to administer its Recovery Act funds. The OIG found several weaknesses that could adversely affect its capacity to administer these funds and recommended that HUD require corrective action on...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector reviewed Cook County’s (County) Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The review was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the County based upon the results of our three previous audits of the County’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Our objective was to determine whether the County had the capacity to effectively...

We audited the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (Authority) administration of its housing assistance payments for leased housing. This is the last of three audit reports we plan to issue on the Authority's program. The audit objective addressed in this report was to determine whether the Authority properly maintained documentation to support housing assistance payments and accurately calculated them. The Authority did not...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Chicago Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program) under its Moving to Work Demonstration program. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2008 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing agencies in Region V's...

The Authority's program administration regarding housing assistance payment calculations and zero-income households was inadequate. The Authority did not effectively manage its housing assistance calculation and payment process in accordance with HUD requirements, resulting in nearly $57,000 in overpayment, more than $21,000 in unsupported payments and nearly $22,000 in underpayment for the period January 1, 2007, through August 31, 2008....

We audited the City of Norfolk's (City) HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program based on a request from the Community Planning and Development Division in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Richmond, Virginia, field office. Our audit objective was to determine whether the City properly administered its HOME program by following HUD requirements related to homebuyer assistance, modernization rehabilitation...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Housing Choice Voucher program of the East St. Louis Housing Authority (Authority). Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority's Section 8 program units met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) housing quality standards. We found that seventy-nine percent of the Authority's Section 8...