We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to certify and provide supporting documentation that the identified deficiencies have been corrected for the 57 properties cited in this audit report.
Publication Report
2017-FW-1011 | August 29, 2017
BLM Companies LLC Failed To Ensure That It Protected and Preserved HUD Properties Under Its Field Service Manager Contract for Area 1D
We conducted an audit of BLM Companies LLC’s controls and performance under its Management and Marketing III program field service manager contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for area 1D. Area 1D included HUD… moreRelated Recommendations
Housing
- Status2017-FW-1011-001-BOpenClosedClosed on August 22, 2023$8,034.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to repay $8,034 in ineligible monthly management and inspection fees for 57 sample properties with health and safety hazards or significant not-ready-to-show conditions.
- Status2017-FW-1011-001-COpenClosedClosed on August 22, 2023$488,883.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to support or repay $488,883 in unearned property management and inspection fees for 1,028 properties with three or more consecutive unresolved discrepancies in its routine exceptions reports.
- Status2017-FW-1011-001-DOpenClosedClosed on November 06, 2018$891,000.00Funds Put to Better Use
Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.
We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to implement an effective quality control system, including specifying how many quality control field inspections it will perform, how it will select properties for review and inspection, reviewing exception reports by case number, completing the routine inspection form during field inspections, documenting quality control findings and how it resolved them, and retaining records that allow it to identify and correct patterns of deficiencies and poor performance. This would put an estimated $891,000 to better use in the next 12 months.
We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to evaluate the structure of its exception reports to ensure that they do not omit existing hazards and other issues reported by inspectors.
We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to perform required background investigations before allowing individuals and vendors to work under the contract, and prevent those who have not had background checks from performing further work under the contract until it determines that they are suitable for the duties assigned.
We recommend that the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require BLM to sign its contracts with vendors.
We recommend that HUD’s Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing assess BLM’s performance under the area 1D contract at least quarterly to determine whether it has improved its performance. If its performance does not improve, coordinate with the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer to determine whether BLM was in default of its contract and take appropriate action.