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Closed Date:
March 26, 2020

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to strengthen its controls to ensure that operating funds are requested, received, and used in accordance with HUD, Federal, and Authority requirements.

Publication Report

2018-NY-1006 | September 26, 2018

The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, Buffalo, NY, Did Not Administer Its Operating Funds in Accordance With Requirements

We audited the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority based on our risk analysis of public housing agencies that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Buffalo, NY, field office.  The objective of… more

Related Recommendations

Public and Indian Housing

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-001-A
    Closed on September 22, 2020
    $583,920.00
    Questioned 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 Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that the $583,920 paid to two vendors for purchase orders below the Authority’s micropurchase limit was for prices that were reasonable or reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support or is not considered reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-001-B
    Closed on September 28, 2020
    $842,931.00
    Questioned 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 Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that $842,931 paid under five contracts was for prices that were reasonable or reimburse its Operating Fund for any amount that it cannot support or is not considered reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-001-C
    Closed on September 14, 2020

    We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to strengthen its controls over purchases to ensure compliance with HUD, Federal, and Authority procurement requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, controls to ensure that it (1) maintains records sufficient to detail the significant history of procurements, (2) complies with requirements for each type of procurement, (3) obtains independent cost estimates and performs cost or price analyses when required, and (4) prevents and detects conflict-of-interest situations.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-001-D
    Closed on February 12, 2020

    We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide training to its staff to ensure compliance with HUD and Federal procurement requirements.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-002-A
    Closed on February 12, 2020
    $372,695.00
    Questioned 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 Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to justify the $372,695 in unsupported Operating Fund subsidies received or reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount it cannot support.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-002-B
    Closed on February 12, 2020
    $8,564.00
    Questioned 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 Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to justify $8,564 in excessive property management fees charged by the COCC or reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount it cannot support.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-002-C
    Closed on February 12, 2020
    $82,907.00
    Questioned 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 Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds $82,907 for 16 document management services contract payments that should have been paid with COCC funds.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-002-E
    Closed on March 26, 2020

    We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide training to employees involved in the funding and expenditure processes to ensure compliance with HUD, Federal, and Authority requirements

General Counsel

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-NY-1006-001-E
    Closed on August 19, 2019

    We also recommend that the Director of HUD’s Departmental Enforcement Center evaluate the apparent conflict-of-interest situations in this report and pursue administrative sanctions if warranted.