We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New York Office of Public and Indian Housing require HPD to improve controls over the housing quality standards quality control inspections to ensure that quality control inspections meet HUD’s minimum sample size and that the sample is drawn from recently completed housing quality standards inspections.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New York Office of Public and Indian Housing require HPD to improve controls over its abatement process to ensure that it consistently (1) starts abatement when required, (2) verifies and documents the correction of violations, (3) resumes housing assistance payments after the end of the abatement period, and (4) maintains sufficient documentation to support the abatement and reinstatement for each unit.

Provide documentation to show that it purchased products and services totaling $728,516 at fair and reasonable prices or reimburse either its Operating or Capital Fund from non-Federal funds for any amounts that it cannot support.

Provide documentation to show that it had contracts for dumpster rentals and pest control services, and if it cannot provide the contracts, re-procure these services.

Obtain written agreements with the originating public bodies for its ongoing awards that were procured through intergovernmental agreements, including dumpster rentals, maintenance supplies, and consulting services, and if it cannot provide the agreements, re-procure these services.

Develop and implement controls to ensure that it complies with all applicable procurement requirements.

Provide technical assistance to the Authority to ensure that it understands Federal procurement requirements, including the proper use of intergovernmental agreements.

Update its administrative plan to ensure compliance with applicable regulations. Minimally, the administrative plan should clearly define the weights and rankings of the preference system and ensure that the residency preference complies with regulations.

Reevaluate the cases of the 131 applicants to whom it did not award residency points and award points as appropriate.

Update its waiting list as needed after completing corrective action for recommendation 1B.

Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that it administers its waiting list according to the requirements in its administrative plan, including maintaining documentation to show that it properly selected applicants from the waiting list.

Develop and implement procedures for performing quarterly interim recertifications for families reporting zero income.

Develop and implement controls to ensure that it follows the procedures it develops and implements to resolve recommendation 1E.

Provide documentation to show that the family that received the benefit of the $2,463 overpayment in housing assistance reimbursed the program or repay its program from non-Federal funds for any amount not reimbursed by the family.

Provide technical assistance to the Authority to ensure that it properly manages its waiting list, properly uses its preference point system, and selects applicants in accordance with applicable requirements.

As part of reopened recommendation 1B, correct the deficiencies within applicable PTD reports, including missing or inaccurate records for the 10 grants identified in this CAV.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to develop and implement a HUD-approved written plan and procedures and take actions that will correct and prevent the monitoring deficiencies in the finding, improve program administration effectiveness, and ensure compliance with HUD regulations and its own policies and procedures as required. This plan and written procedures should include controls to ensure that Northlake complies with HUD’s and its own requirements for monitoring recipients annually as well as documenting and maintaining the monitoring results. Implementing this recommendation should ensure that the $2,092,545 in HUD funds, allocated to Northlake’s four partners for program execution, is better used.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to support $81,013 or repay its program from non-Federal funds for disbursements made without adequate supporting documentation.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to develop and implement additional policies and controls and procedures, including but not limited to a disbursement file checklist, to ensure that adequate supporting documentation for disbursement is maintained in the files.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to support $47,679 or repay its program from non-Federal funds for payments made to contractors without written contracts and independent cost estimates.