As part of our strategic plan objective to assist the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) efforts to reduce rental assistance overpayments, we audited the Housing Authority of the City of Odessa’s (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (Voucher) and Section 8 New Construction (New Construction) programs. Based on review of the Authority’s financial statements, we also audited its transactions with one of its related...

We reviewed 19 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans Americare Investment Group (Americare) underwrote as an FHA direct endorsement lender. Our review objective was to determine whether Americare underwrote the 19 loans in accordance with FHA requirements. This review is part of Operation Watchdog, an Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders at the suggestion of the FHA...

In response to a request from Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General conducted a review of the allegations that Columbus Properties Limited Partnership (Columbus Properties) did not renovate six apartment complexes in Ohio for which it obtained HUD-insured mortgages. Congresswoman Kilroy asked for a review based on local newspaper articles that alleged waste and abuse...

We reviewed 20 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans that Alacrity Lending Company (Alacrity) underwrote as an FHA direct endorsement lender. Our review objective was to determine whether Alacrity underwrote the 20 loans in accordance with FHA requirements. This review is part of Operation Watchdog, an Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders at the suggestion of the FHA...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited National Home Management Solutions (National Home), HUD’s management and marketing contractor for HUD real estate-owned properties in Ohio. We selected National Home based on a citizen’s complaint received by our office. Our objective was to determine whether National Home complied with HUD’s requirements regarding the sale of HUD single-family real...

We audited the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Supplemental II Disaster Recovery program, funds, administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). Specifically, we wanted to determine whether TDHCA followed Federal and State of Texas (State) regulations in procuring the program management firm to administer the Housing Assistance and Sabine Pass...

We audited the Georgetown Housing Authority (Authority) due to a congressional request. Our objectives were to determine (1) whether the Authority and/or its nonprofit affiliates used U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding for recent developments and if so, whether they followed HUD regulations and (2) whether the Authority used HUD funds only for eligible expenditures. The Authority’s nonprofit related entities did not...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited The Other Place, Inc.’s (The Other Place) use of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009’s (Act) Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (program) funds. The Other Place was selected for audit based upon a citizen’s complaint to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board that was forwarded to our office. The...

In accordance with our goal to review funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General conducted a capacity review of the City of East Cleveland’s (City) operations. We also selected the City based upon the results of our audit of the City’s Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) and HOME Investment...

As part of our organization’s commitment to ensure the proper use of recovery funding, we performed a review of the City of Grand Prairie’s (City) operations to evaluate its capacity to administer the $3.2 million received under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Specifically, our objective was to review and assess the City’s capacity and risks in the following...

As part of the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) directive to determine whether safeguards exist to ensure that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funds are used for their intended purposes, we conducted a capacity review of the City San Antonio, TX (City) operations. Our objective was to determine whether the City had the capacity to account for Recovery Act funds and the controls to ensure that it expends...

As part of the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) directive to determine whether safeguards exist to ensure that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funds are used for their intended purposes, we audited the Dallas Housing Authority’s (Authority) Recovery Act Public Housing Capital Fund formula grant (grant). Our objective was to evaluate the Authority’s capacity in the areas of internal controls, eligibility,...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General performed an audit of Leader Financial Services (Leader), a Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) issuer servicing Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans. We initiated the audit based on the 62 percent delinquency rate of Leader’s mortgage-servicing package purchased from Fidelity Home Mortgage Corporation (Fidelity). Our...

We conducted an inspection of post-Mark-to-Market (M2M) restructuring of mortgage debt of Lakeshore Village Apartments (Lakeshore Village), Cleveland, OH, to determine the validity of an informal complaint from HUD’s Multifamily Office of Asset Management (OAM).  OAM staff was concerned that, in approving the assignment and assumption of the restructured debt instruments, HUD’s Office of Affordable Housing Preservation (OAHP) was not...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Lake Metropolitan Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program). The Authority was selected for audit based upon a congressional request from the Honorable Steven C. LaTourette. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program in accordance with HUD’s requirements and its program...

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) audited the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Supplemental I and II Disaster Recovery program funds, administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). Specifically, we wanted to determine whether TDHCA administered the floodplain management program as required by federal, state,...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (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. Our objective was to determine...

The City of Fort Worth (City) is scheduled to receive $10.85 million in Recovery Act funding. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a memorandum on the City’s capacity to administer these funds. We reported the City had a history of failing to meet regulatory requirements in an efficient or timely manner. The City needs to strengthen its capacity to adequately administer recovery...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD) Office of Inspector General has issued a memorandum on the Travis County (Texas) Housing Authority’s (Authority) capacity to administer Recovery Act funds. The memorandum reports that the Authority lacks capacity to administer ARRA public housing capital funds. The OIG recommended that HUD increase monitoring and oversight of the Authority’s financial and program activities, and either...

We audited the Housing Authority of Travis County (Authority) due to several problem indicators including the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) rejecting the Authority’s 2005 and 2006 audited financial statements and noting that the Authority’s 2007 financial statements contained $4.1 million in interprogram transfers and a negative $579,783 administrative fee reserve. Our objectives were to determine (1) whether the...