We recommend that HUD’s General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development implement updated guidance and protocols for monitoring civil rights compliance and require CPD staff to incorporate civil rights monitoring into the risk analysis process.

We recommend that HUD for grantees with delayed project activities (California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, New York City, Minot, and Shelby County), require each grantee to provide a detailed timeline with milestone dates of when projects should be completed and provide updates to ensure that grantees stay on schedule.

We recommend that HUD for its disaster-related program wide activities, require grantees to provide documentation showing that they have upfront collaboration with partnering entities in executing the grant program. If the grantee plans to hire contractors, HUD should ensure that grantees have a plan to quickly onboard contractors early in the program.

Update the Conveyance, Assignment, and Assumption Agreement to require purchasers to report final property outcomes and identifying information including those of third-party purchasers when applicable.

Enhance data collection and processing controls to ensure consistency in reporting data.

Enhance existing demonstration guidance within the Conveyance, Assignment, and Assumption Agreement to provide further detail regarding documentation retention requirements.

Issue guidance to PHAs clarifying the timing of unit inspections and lead-based paint visual assessments to address the misinterpretation caused by the terms “annual” and “every 12 months.”

Provide evidence to support that the owners corrected the 46 deficiencies for the 20 units with outstanding deficiencies. If the owners fail to provide evidence that they made the required corrections, HUD should require the Authority to implement its HAP enforcement procedures and provide supporting documentation to HUD evidencing that it did so.

Improve its quality control process for monitoring its inspectors to enhance the effectiveness of its unit inspections and ensure that all units meet HUD’s and its own requirements to prevent more than $34 million in Program funds from being spent on units that do not meet HQS over the next year. This process should include but not be limited to procedures (1) requiring its staff to use the quality control inspection results to evaluate and monitor the performance of the Authority’s inspectors, along with maintaining adequate supporting documentation on feedback provided to the inspectors for recurring inspection deficiencies and (2) for evaluating the training provided to its inspectors to determine what improvements are needed to ensure that unit deficiencies are detected.

Pursue collection from the applicable owners or reimburse its HCV Program from non-Federal funds $106,477 ($180,309 - $73,832) in inappropriate HAP

Provide evidence to HUD that it has improved its controls and procedures for its stop payment process to ensure that (1) payments to owners comply with its HCV Program administrative plan and HUD requirements and (2) it maintains documentation to support stop payments and resumption of those payments for each unit as applicable.

Update publications and educational materials to owners to ensure that they understand their reporting responsibilities to HUD regarding confirmed cases of children with EBLLs.

Develop and implement procedures and controls for coordinating with public health departments and managing cases of children with EBLLs, including monitoring owners for compliance with the requirements of the LSHR.

Establish a separate fraud risk management framework or evaluate and build upon its ERM framework by incorporating fraud risk management practices that are consistent with the principles of GAO’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government (Green Book), including developing a fraud risk management framework in alignment with best practices identified in GAO’s A Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs and the Chief Financial Officers Council’s Antifraud Playbook.

Obtain training or technical assistance on the implementation of fraud risk management practices consistent with the principles of GAO’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government (Green Book).

Work with HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to provide training for the Authority’s staff on the appropriate testing methodology for confirming that a child has an EBLL and to provide technical assistance on procedures and controls to address the issues cited in this finding.

Work with HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to provide training for the Authority’s staff on the management of lead-based paint, including technical assistance with developing and implementing procedures and controls to address the issues cited in this finding.

Pursue collection from the applicable owner or reimburse its HCV Program $5,194 from non-Federal funds for HAP that was not properly stopped for two units with outstanding HQS deficiencies.

Provide support showing whether HAP was appropriately stopped for the four units cited in the finding or reimburse or pursue collection of $10,233 from non-Federal funds for HAP to owners with outstanding HQS deficiencies.

Update Handbook 4000.1 to require servicers to share information regarding foreclosure moratoriums with borrowers.