We recommend that HUD’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs coordinate with the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control to provide technical assistance and instruct City officials to advise homeowners of their obligation under the terms of the reimbursement grant agreement to allow the Program to perform lead-based paint testing or hazard removal. Homeowners who refuse to allow the Program to complete lead hazard work or provide evidence that the property achieved clearance must repay the grant.
Publication Report
2017-NY-1001 | November 02, 2016
The City of New York, NY, Implemented Policies That Did Not Always Ensure That Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Funds Were Disbursed in Accordance With Its Action Plan and Federal Regulations
We completed a review of the City of New York, Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations’ administration of the Build it Back Single Family Program, funded with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds provided by the U.S… moreRelated Recommendations
Community Planning and Development
- Status2017-NY-1001-001-COpenClosed$32,107.00Questioned 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 HUD’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs instruct City officials to repay the Program from non-Federal funds $32,107 in overpaid grants to homeowners whose grant amounts (1) were not revised to show recalculated duplication of benefits and (2) exceeded the Program’s 60 percent reimbursement rate.
- Status2017-NY-1001-001-DOpenClosed$101,398.00Funds 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 HUD’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs instruct City officials to reimburse $101,398 in additional grants owed to the 11 homeowners whose grant amounts should have been materially increased as a result of recalculated duplication of benefits.
- Status2017-NY-1001-002-COpenClosed$833,199.00Questioned 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 HUD’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs coordinate with the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control to provide technical assistance and instruct City officials to provide supporting documentation that lead-based paint testing was performed, identified hazards were removed, and clearance was achieved for the 41 properties for which homeowners received $833,199 in CDBG-DR assistance. If supporting documentation is not provided, City officials should repay the $833,199 from non-Federal funds.