We audited the State of Louisiana’s Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance program as part of our annual audit plan to review Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs.  Our objective was to determine whether the State ensured that it complied with (1) its eligibility requirements for the Homeowner Assistance program and (2) website reporting requirements. We found that The State did not always ensure that it complied...

We audited the Jefferson Parish Community Development Department in response to a citizen complaint and in accordance with our annual audit plan to review the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) community planning and development programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs.  Our objective was to determine whether the Parish (1) ensured that payments to...

We audited the Yabucoa Volunteers of America Elderly Housing, Inc., Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program.  We selected the Yabucoa housing project for review based on concerns regarding the slow progress of the project as noted during the audit of the Puerto Rico Department of Housing multifamily special escrow funds.  The objective of this audit was to determine whether Volunteers used Section 202 funds in...

We audited the Municipality of San Juan’s Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program.  We selected the Municipality for review as part of our strategic plan based on the large amount of ESG funds approved and because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) classified the Municipality as a high-risk grantee in its 2016 risk assessment.  Our main objective was to determine whether the Municipality administered its ESG...

We audited RMS & Associates’ Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan origination because it was one of the top lenders that originated FHA-insured loans with downpayment assistance from the City of Las Vegas.  A previous U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG), audit (Evergreen Home Loans, 2016-LA-1011) found that Evergreen originated FHA-insured loans in connection with the City of Las...

We audited SecurityNational Mortgage Company’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan origination because it was among the top lenders that originated FHA-insured loans with downpayment assistance from the City of Las Vegas.  A previous U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG), audit (Evergreen Home Loans, 2016-LA-1011) found that Evergreen originated FHA-insured loans in connection with...

We audited Venta Financial Group’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan origination because it was one of the top lenders that originated FHA-insured loans with downpayment assistance from the City of Las Vegas.  A previous U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) audit (Evergreen Home Loans, 2016-LA-1011) found that Evergreen originated FHA-insured loans in connection with the City of...

We audited the Office of the Commissioner for Municipal Affairs’ (OCMA) Puerto Rico State Community Development Block Grant program.  We selected OCMA for review based on concerns regarding the slow progress of the Municipality of San Sebastian’s fine arts center.  The objective of this audit was to determine whether OCMA effectively used State Block Grant funds on a fine arts center that met a national objective of the program and...

We audited the City of Las Vegas’, Homebuyer Assistance Program under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3 (NSP3).  We initiated this review because of a prior HUD Office of Inspector General audit of Evergreen Home Loans issued September 12, 2016 (audit report 2016-LA-1011).  The Evergreen Home Loans audit report identified 14 loans that received home-buyer assistance as...

We audited the City of New Orleans’ HOME Investment Partnerships program in response to a citizen complaint alleging that the City did not monitor its HOME-assisted projects and in accordance with our annual audit plan.  Our objective was to determine the validity of the complaint allegations and whether the City administered its HOME program in accordance with Federal and HUD requirements. We found that complaint had merit as the City did...

We audited the Hammond Housing Authority as part of our annual audit plan to review public housing programs.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority properly administered its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program in accordance with HUD requirements. While the Authority properly administered its waiting list and completed housing quality standards inspections at least...

We audited Clark County, NV’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.  We selected Clark County for review due to its large grant size and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) risk assessment.  The reporting objective of the audit was to determine whether Clark County followed procurement requirements, ensured that CDBG projects met CDBG national objectives, and spent CDBG funds on eligible expenses....

We audited the St. Tammany Parish grants department’s administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery program, as part of our annual audit plan to review the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 funds.  Our objective was to determine whether the Parish administered its disaster recovery program in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) requirements and in line with its...

We audited the Puerto Rico Department of Housing’s multifamily special escrow funds.  This audit was the result of a referral from the San Juan Office of Multifamily Housing Programs.  The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Department administered and disbursed its escrow funds in accordance with its memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and whether funded...

We performed a survey of Evergreen Moneysource Mortgage Company, doing business as Evergreen Home Loans, regarding its Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan origination process.  The review was part of our efforts to improve the integrity of single-family insurance programs.  We selected Evergreen’s Las Vegas branch because of its compare ratio.  Our audit objective was to determine whether Evergreen’s Las Vegas branch...

We audited the State of Louisiana, Office of Community Development’s disaster assistance programs, administered by the State’s subrecipient, St. John the Baptist Parish, as part of our annual audit plan to review disaster assistance programs under the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act.  Our objective was to determine whether the Parish, as the State’s subrecipient, met the requirements of its agreement with the State and followed U.S...

We audited the Municipality of Bayamon’s Emergency Shelter Grants and Emergency Solutions Grants programs.  We selected this auditee based on congressional and hotline complaints alleging that the Municipality improperly used Emergency funds to transport people from Puerto Rico to mainland U.S. cities to receive rehabilitation treatment.  Our main audit objectives were to determine whether allegations included in the complaints had...

We audited Central City Housing Development Corporation’s U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sections 202 and 8-funded project, Satchmo Plaza, as part of our annual audit plan to review multifamily projects.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Corporation met the requirements of its regulatory agreement and followed HUD requirements when operating the project. We found that the Corporation did not always...

We audited the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge’s (City) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as part of the Office of Inspector General’s annual audit plan to review community planning and development funds.  The audit objective was to determine whether the City properly administered and adequately documented its CDBG program activities in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD...

We audited the Puerto Rico Department of Housing’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program’s housing quality standards as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2014 audit plan.  We selected the Department because it had a large program receiving more than $54 million in 2014.  Our main audit objective was to determine whether the Department’s inspection process adequately ensured that its units complied with the U.S. Department...