Adequately notify homeowners that, due to COVID-19, all FHA refund applications and supporting documents should be sent electronically to avoid delay in processing. This process should include (1) developing and expediting implementation of correspondence sent to homeowners with the application, (2) a notice of operational changes on HUD’s FHA refunds websites, (3) ensuring that HUD’s Does HUD Owe You a Refund website is updated to the most recent FHA Homeowners Fact Sheet, (4) an updated voice message from the call center including an accurate email, and (5) developing an updated script for call center agents for the initial contact with the homeowner, follow up, and contact with homeowners who already submitted their application by mail.

Conduct a privacy impact assessment for accepting homeowner FHA refund applications and supporting documentation that contain PII electronically to identify potential risks and develop and implement plans to mitigate those risks.

Develop and implement written policies and procedures for SFIOD to quickly respond to emergency situations when staff cannot return to the office. Procedures should include steps to quickly notify homeowners of any changes made to the FHA refund process.

Implement its procurement controls to ensure that it is able to locate and maintain the complete procurement documents for at least 3 years after the closeout of NSP1 and NSP3 in compliance with its own procedures and HUD regulations.

Provide the required documents to support $161,131 in NSP1 and $109,525 in NSP3 funds for expenses for acquisition, rehabilitation, and administration. If the City cannot provide the required documents, it should repay the U.S. Treasury from non-Federal funds.

Repay the U.S. Treasury from non-Federal funds for the $1,550 overpaid to acquire a foreclosed NSP3 property.

Obtain technical assistance from HUD to ensure that it is able to manage the programs and comply with program regulations before processing future expenses related to NSP1 and NSP3 projects and activities.

Follow its NSP procedures and HUD regulations to complete and submit its future NSP1 and NSP3 HUD quarterly performance reports and annual single audit reports within the required timeframes until the closeout of the respective programs or until HUD is assured that these reports are consistently submitted on time.

Follow its own procedures and HUD regulations to post the missing 21 NSP1 and 22 NSP3 HUD quarterly performance reports, as of June 30, 2019, on its official website; and, post the future NSP1 and NSP3 HUD quarterly performance reports on its website until the closeout of the respective programs or until HUD is assured that these reports are consistently posted on its website.

Obtain technical assistance from HUD to ensure that the City is able to submit its quarterly performance reports and annual single audit reports on time and post the performance reports on its website to comply with program regulations.

Conduct and make available internal HEROS training for all multifamily HEROS users on how to document the environmental review mitigation measures.

Establish and implement written procedures specifying which multifamily employees are required to upload mitigation resolutions after construction completion and at final endorsement.

Upload the 17 missing mitigation resolutions and the 1 missing radon testing document into HEROS for the projects in this finding.

Strengthen HEROS or internal procedures to add an additional requirement confirming that the mitigation resolutions have been uploaded at final endorsement.

Strengthen HEROS by adding a column on the dashboard to show the progress of the overall mitigation status.

Develop and implement an action plan that includes sufficient policies, procedures, and controls that address households living in multifamily housing units having a sufficient supply of safe drinking water […]

Status

In April 2022, HUD created draft standard operating procedures to address lead in the water of its multifamily housing units. On May 11, 2023, HUD published its National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) regulations that addressed lead in the water. Further, on June 30, 2023, HUD published its Implementation of National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate Administrative Procedures, which requires property owners and agents to provide information about water supply providers and water safety alerts, if applicable, prior to the commencement of a Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspection. As a result, the Office of Multifamily Housing is revising its procedures and consulting with the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH). As of February 2025, the OIG was waiting for additional information from the Office of Multifamily Housing demonstrating whether it has addressed the recommendation.

Analysis

To fully address this recommendation, the Office of Multifamily Housing must provide evidence of an action plan that includes its procedures that address households living in multifamily units to ensure that they have a sufficient supply of safe drinking water.

Implementation of this recommendation will enable HUD to have sufficient oversight and control activities in place to ensure households living in multifamily housing have a sufficient supply of safe drinking water.

Require the Englewood Apartments’ owner to repay HUD from non-project funds the projected $377,108 in housing assistance payments for tenants who were not eligible for assistance.

Require Englewood Apartments to support that $24,295 in unsupported housing assistance payments was eligible and accurate. Englewood Apartments’ owner should repay any subsidy overpayments to HUD from non-project sources. Further, the owner should reimburse tenants for overcharged rents or enter into a repayment agreement with tenants who were undercharged due to nondisclosure of income.

Require the Englewood Apartments’ owner to implement appropriate controls, including a formalized process, to use when conducting initial certifications and interim and annual recertifications to ensure that tenants are eligible, housing assistance payments are accurate, and tenant files contain all required documentation to comply with HUD’s and its own requirements. In addition, the updated controls should ensure a layer of management oversight to review all certifications before final approval until such time as onsite management is trained and has been proven to follow HUD’s and its own requirements.

Ensure that the owner, management agent, and staff complete training to ensure that they understand their duties, including HUD’s and local tenant eligibility and certification requirements.