We audited the Newark Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. We selected the Authority for review because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) authorized more than $111 million in program funding for its Housing Choice Voucher Program in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 and based on our risk analysis of public housing agencies located in the State of New Jersey. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the...

We audited the City of Erie, PA’s Community Development Block Grant program because we received a complaint regarding its code enforcement program and we had not audited the City’s program since 1997.  The complaint alleged that the City targeted low- to middle-income residents in certain neighborhoods requiring expensive repairs to their homes and properties, which could result in legal actions and liens if the homeowners did not make...

We audited the Red Bank Housing Authority based on the results of our audit of Asbury Park Housing Authority because both public housing agencies had agreements with the Long Branch Housing Authority to provide services.  The objective of this audit was to determine whether the Authority administered its Public Housing Operating and Capital Fund programs in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal,...

We audited the Adams County Housing Authority because (1) a news article reported that the executive director received an excessive salary and practiced nepotism, (2) we received a complaint alleging nepotism and potential misuse of Federal funds, and (3) we had never audited the Authority.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program according to applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban...

We audited Diamond Park because of concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Departmental Enforcement Center regarding the management of the project and we had never audited it.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the owner managed the project in accordance with its regulatory agreement and HUD requirements.  We focused the audit on reviewing (1) participant eligibility and their...

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Asbury Park based on our risk analysis of public housing agencies located in the State of New Jersey.  The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority administered its Public Housing Operating and Capital Fund programs in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal, and Authority requirements. The Authority did not always...

We audited Hudson County, NJ’s HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) as part of the activities in our annual audit plan.  We selected the County based on a risk analysis that considered the amount of funding, the risk score assigned to it by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and our identification of potential issues.  Our objective was to determine whether the County committed and disbursed HOME funds...

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...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, District of New Jersey, District of Minnesota, and Southern District of Florida, in the civil investigation of PHH Corporation, PHH Mortgage Corporation (PHHMC), and PHH Home Loans, LLC (PHHHL), collectively referred to as PHH.  PHH was a direct endorsement lender...

We audited the Chester Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher program because (1) it recently regained control of its operations after 20 years in receivership, (2) it had 1,566 vouchers and received more than $14.9 million in fiscal year 2016, and (3) we had not audited its program.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority ensured that its Housing Choice Voucher program units met the U.S. Department of Housing and...

We audited Schwenckfeld Manor because it was a high-risk multifamily project on our multifamily risk assessment for projects within our region and we had never audited it.  Our audit objectives were to determine whether the project owner (1) disbursed project funds for costs that were reasonable, necessary, and supported for the operation and maintenance of the project; and (2) properly disclosed identity-of-interest relationships. The...

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 State of New Jersey’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery-funded Sandy Homebuyer Assistance program.  We conducted the audit because (1) it was the State’s only home-buyer assistance program, (2) the State had spent a high percentage of its allocated funds, and (3) reviews performed by the State auditor and the State’s disaster recovery integrity monitor identified potential issues.  Our objective was to...

We audited Laurentian Hall Apartments (project) because of its failure to submit financial statements in a timely manner and because we had never audited the project before.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the project’s owner managed the project in accordance with its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-held mortgage and other HUD requirements. The owner of Laurentian Hall Apartments did not always manage...

We audited the City of Pittsburgh, PA’s administration of its Community Development Block Grant program.  We conducted the audit because the City’s program had the second largest number of completed activities without accomplishment information reported nationwide.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the City administered its Block Grant program in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (...

We audited the Housing Authority of the Township of Irvington, NJ, regarding the administration of its public housing program because it was classified as a troubled public housing agency and based on a complaint from the union representing its maintenance and clerical employees.  The complaint alleged serious financial and operational mismanagement.  The audit objectives were to determine whether the issues identified in the...

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 audited Union County, NJ’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program based on a risk analysis of the County’s program that considered the amount of funding, the risk score assigned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and our identification of potential issues.  The objective of the audit was to determine whether County officials had established and implemented adequate controls to ensure that the County’s program...

We audited the State of New Jersey’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery-funded Superstorm Sandy Housing Incentive Program contract.  We conducted the audit because the contract involved a significant amount of funds ($67.7 million), was critical to the implementation of three of the State’s disaster programs, and was terminated less than 1 year into the 3-year contract term.  Our objective was to determine whether the...