Create a plan and timeline that outlines OFO’s proposal to make necessary improvements to the EBLL tracker, such as moving it to a different platform.
2021-OE-0011b | February 28, 2023
Improvements are Needed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Processes for Monitoring Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing
Public and Indian Housing
- Status2021-OE-0011b-02OpenClosed
- Status2021-OE-0011b-03OpenClosed
Provide field office staff access to historical data in the EBLL tracker to be readily available as needed, with adequate protection of PII.
- Status2021-OE-0011b-04OpenClosed
Update the EBLL tracker to show whether one or multiple children have an EBLL and whether the unit, building, or development previously had an EBLL reported.
- Status2021-OE-0011b-05OpenClosed
Update the EBLL tracker by including which data fields are required, establishing what type of information can be entered into each data field, and disallowing case closure if required information is missing.
- Status2021-OE-0011b-06OpenClosedPriorityPriority
We believe these open recommendations, if implemented, will have the greatest impact on helping HUD achieve its mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
PIH in coordination with other HUD offices as necessary, research and address potential causes of the variance in the number of EBLL cases among States on the EBLL tracker and identify solutions that are within HUD's control.
Status
On May 7, 2024, the Office of Field Operations (OFO) stated that it met with the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) and Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) on March 4 and April 23 and agreed that OFO and OLHCHH will review CDC data on counties with the highest prevalence of EBLLs in children for counties whose states that have reported their BLL data to CDC. OFO will review its EBLL tracker to determine reporting rates by the largest public housing authorities in those counties. OLHCHH will assign an analyst to summarize the most recently available prevalence rates based on selected states. Subsequently, OFO will scrutinize public housing authorities within those states to ascertain the reported cases.
The revised estimated completion date is February 28, 2025.
Analysis
To fully address this recommendation, OFO must provide evidence of meetings held and summaries of the research conducted. For example, what was the exchange with OLHCHH, did OFO coordinate with any other offices, and what research was conducted? OFO needs to research potential causes for the variances and determine what HUD could do to address them.
Alternatively, OFO must establish that there are no solutions within HUD’s control to address any identified causes.
Implementation of this recommendation will help ensure that EBLL cases are reported and recorded appropriately in the EBLL tracker.
- Status2021-OE-0011b-07OpenClosed
Create a plan and timeline that outlines OFO’s proposal to move the LBPR tracker to a different platform.
- Status2021-OE-0011b-08OpenClosed
Develop a timeliness standard in the LBPR tracker to establish expectations for how often field office staff must reach out to PHAs on the LBPR tracker to discuss measures that will resolve cases in a timely manner.
2023-LA-0001 | October 13, 2022
Sale of Section 184 Properties on Tribal Trust and Other Restricted Lands
Public and Indian Housing
- Status2023-LA-0001-001-AOpenClosed
Consider conducting an analysis of staffing resources needed to manage the REO and notes sales on tribal trust properties program and adjust staffing accordingly.
- Status2023-LA-0001-001-BOpenClosed
In conjunction with corrective actions being taken on previous audits, revise ONAP’s internal policy and procedures to include detailed written policies and procedures for the marketing, preservation, and sale of defaulted loan notes and REO properties on tribal trust and other restricted lands.
- Status2023-LA-0001-001-COpenClosed
Work with the Office of the Chief Information Officer to develop an electronic solution, such as a new module in Native Advantage or one similar to FHA’s P260 tracking system, to track the sale of defaulted loan notes and REO properties on tribal trust and other restricted lands. While the solution is being developed, HUD should put controls into place to ensure that manual systems used to track defaulted loans and REO properties are complete and accurate.
2023-CH-0001 | October 11, 2022
HUD Lacked Adequate Oversight of Lead-Based Paint Hazard Remediation in Public Housing
Public and Indian Housing
- Status2023-CH-0001-001-AOpenClosed
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing require the Real Estate Assessment Center in coordination with the Office of Field Operations to develop and implement a plan to manage lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in public housing.
- Status2023-CH-0001-001-BOpenClosedPriorityPriority
We believe these open recommendations, if implemented, will have the greatest impact on helping HUD achieve its mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
Requires the REAC in coordination with OFO to determine the number of developments and associated units that contain lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards.
Status
The Real Estate Assessment Center and Office of Field Operations will collaborate with the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, the Office of Policy Development and Research, and a statistician to evaluate data collected under the NSPIRE inspection program to estimate the number of public housing developments and associated units that contain lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards. The final action target date is March 31, 2025.
Analysis
To address this recommendation, HUD will need to provide evidence that it collected and evaluated data under NSPIRE and estimated the number of public housing developments and associated units that contain lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards.
Implementation of this recommendation will assist HUD in working with PHAs to address the public housing units that contain lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards and help HUD’s oversight of units in need of hazard reduction.
- Status2023-CH-0001-001-COpenClosed
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing require the Real Estate Assessment Center in coordination with the Office of Field Operations to determine the cost to eliminate or control the lead-based paint and lead based paint hazards in public housing and the timeframe to complete such work based on the existing funding levels and strategies that could accelerate the timeframe.
- Status2023-CH-0001-001-DOpenClosed
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing require the Real Estate Assessment Center in coordination with the Office of Field Operations to implement adequate procedures and controls to ensure that public housing agencies appropriately identify and control lead-based paint and eliminate lead-based paint hazards in public housing.
- Status2023-CH-0001-001-EOpenClosed
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing require the Real Estate Assessment Center in coordination with the Office of Field Operations to determine whether the public housing agencies identified as having lead-based paint hazards in their housing developments maintain and implement a plan for managing lead-based paint. For any public housing agency that does not have a plan for the management of lead-based paint in its public housing developments, as appropriate, HUD should inform the public housing agency that it should develop and implement its own plan.
- Status2023-CH-0001-001-FOpenClosed
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing require the Real Estate Assessment Center in coordination with the Office of Field Operations to assess the lead-based paint hazard reduction activities performed at the 19 developments associated with 18 public housing agencies reviewed that did not implement interim controls and ongoing maintenance and reevaluation activities or adequately document that previously identified lead-based paint had been abated or treated with interim controls and subjected to ongoing maintenance and reevaluation activities. If those reduction activities did not fully abate the lead-based paint, HUD should ensure that the public housing agencies implement interim controls and ongoing maintenance and reevaluation programs and maintain required documentation.
2022-FO-0007 | September 29, 2022
Fraud Risk Inventory for the Tenant- and Project-Based Rental Assistance, HOME, and Operating Fund Programs’ CARES and ARP Act Funds
Public and Indian Housing
- Status2022-FO-0007-001-AOpenClosed
Use the fraud risk inventory to enhance program-specific fraud risk assessments for the TBRA and Operating Fund programs.
2022-NY-1003 | August 24, 2022
Long Branch Housing Authority, Long Branch, NJ, Did Not Properly Handle Income and Expenses Related to Agreements With Other Housing Agencies
Public and Indian Housing
- Status2022-NY-1003-001-AOpenClosed$697,912Funds 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 Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing make a determination regarding outstanding agreement income, including whether those unspent funds should be returned to the public housing agencies, thereby putting up to $697,912 to better use, including $478,165 related to Asbury Park and $219,747 related to Red Bank.
- Status2022-NY-1003-001-BOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing provide technical assistance to Long Branch and require updates to its procedures to ensure that it properly classifies income received under any future agreements or activities.
- Status2022-NY-1003-002-AOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing require Long Branch to prepare and provide support for a reasonable estimate of the amount of employee time used to perform services for Asbury Park and Red Bank and the amount of Long Branch program funds used to pay for that time. This estimate should include all employees known or believed to have provided services under the agreements based on language in the agreements, incentive payments, after-the-fact documentation provided, and any other applicable knowledge or documentation, which would show that the employees performed work under the agreements.