Update selection rules for CAIVRS to provide for complete reporting of all ineligible borrowers to put $9.5 million to better use.

Status

In 2020, HUD suspended reporting delinquencies and defaults to the Credit Alert Verification Reporting System (CAIVRS) because these debts are owed to the lender and are not delinquent Federal debt. A debt is not delinquent until a payment is past due to HUD for a deficiency judgment against the borrower in connection with an FHA claim. Rather than add the missing borrowers to CAIVRS, HUD determined it would remove default and claim data from the system and use it to exclusively identify borrowers with delinquent Federal debt. This will resolve the issue of incomplete reporting of delinquent federal debts greater than 3 years old. As of early June 2024, the Office of Single Family Housing stated that it was on target to complete its action plan by June 28, 2024.

Analysis

To fully address this recommendation, HUD must provide evidence that it removed default and claim data from CAIVRS.

Implementation of this recommendation should result in HUD putting $9.5 million to better use.

We recommend that the Director, Office of Multifamily Asset Management, require that each Hub or field office review its refinanced Section 202/223(f) projects for debt service savings amounts, utilizing data provided from this audit for possible additional debt service savings. Where legally possible each Hub or field office should identify, account for by project, and use these amounts for current and future opportunities benefiting tenants or to fund reductions in housing assistance payments.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Detroit Office of Multifamily Housing Programs require the Authority to ensure that $31,148,477 in residual receipts for the 15 projects as of May 31, 2013, is used to reduce or offset housing assistance payments in accordance with HUD’s requirements.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Detroit Office of Multifamily Housing Programs require the Authority to reimburse the U.S. Treasury $608,337 ($77,856 436,759 $93,722) for the three projects with terminated program contracts.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Detroit Office of Multifamily Housing Programs require the Authority to reimburse the U.S. Treasury $12,830 from non-Federal funds for the lost interest.

Recover from owner $2,687,822, the difference between $3,662,822 owed to HUD by owner and $975,000 proceeds of foreclosure sale.

Support unsupported expenditures of $60,750 that were drawn down for the grant. For any unsupported expenditures require grantee reimburse HUD.