HUD Lacked Adequate Oversight of Lead-Based Paint Hazard Remediation in Public Housing
HUD established procedures in the Lead Safe Housing Rule in 1999 to eliminate lead-based paint hazards, as far as practicable, in public housing. However, it did not have a plan to manage lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in public housing. Additionally, HUD generally did not monitor whether public housing agencies had implemented lead-based paint hazard reduction and documented the activities at their public housing developments. These weaknesses occurred because HUD relied on public housing agencies to implement their own
HUD’s Oversight of the Physical Conditions of PBRA and FHA-insured PBV Units Converted Under the RAD Program
HUD OIG is auditing HUD's oversight of the physical conditions of project based rental assistance (PBRA) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA)‐insured project‐based voucher (PBV) units converted under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. RAD was implemented to preserve and improve public housing units and address the nationwide backlog of deferred maintenance and capital needs. The objective of the audit is to assess the physical condition of units that converted under the first component of the RAD program.
Cash or Gift Card Phone Scam
Be aware! Phone and computer scammers may contact you and claim to be from the government. These scammers may threaten you with jail or fines if you do not send them cash or gift cards within a short period.
Management Alert: Action Needed to Ensure That Assisted Property Owners, Including Public Housing Agencies, Comply with the Lead Safe Housing Rule
While conducting an ongoing audit of the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) management of lead-based paint hazards in its public housing units, we identified a significant gap in HUD’s program requirements related to safe work practices, which we believe requires immediate action by HUD. We identified that the Authority determined a substantial percentage of maintenance and hazard reduction work performed on surfaces with lead-based paint in its public housing units was “de minimis”, or minor. The Authority’s determinations exempted the work from H
HUD FY 2022 Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Evaluation Report
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) directs Inspectors General to conduct an annual evaluation of the agency information security program. FISMA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) establish information technology (IT) security guidance and standards for Federal agencies.
Risk Indicators of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing Agencies
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States. When lead-based paint peels and cracks, it results in lead-contaminated paint chips and dust. Children can be poisoned if they chew on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, eat flaking paint chips, or eat or breathe in lead dust. CDC has reported that there is no safe blood lead level in people and there is no cure for lead poisoning,
Fraud Risk Inventory for the Tenant- and Project-Based Rental Assistance, HOME, and Operating Fund Programs’ CARES and ARP Act Funds
In coordination with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, we conducted an audit to identify potential fraud schemes that could affect HUD’s pandemic funds. We reviewed the funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Public Housing Operating Fund programs to identify the fraud risks and potential fraud schemes that they face while delivering services to the public.