Pay the project $282,578 from non-project funds for the fair value of the commercial rent not collected from the lessees.

Request approval from HUD to lease the commercial space. If HUD approves the request, then execute a lease at fair market rent thereby increasing the project’s rent revenue by at least $36,858 per year.

Request approval from HUD for the $31,769 in project operating funds spent on building improvements or repay the project from nonproject funds for any amount not approved.

Provide documentation to show that the $39,920 paid to replace an air conditioning system was fair and reasonable or repay the project from nonproject funds any amount determined not to be fair and reasonable (excluding any amount repaid as a result of recommendation 1C).

Remove the $25,000 lien on the project property.

Repay the project $8,597 from nonproject funds for the ineligible expenses it incurred for management fee and gas utility expenses that were identified by the audit and any additional management fee and gas utility expenses improperly paid outside of our review period.

Develop and implement controls to ensure that financial statements are submitted to HUD in a timely manner, including paying the correct amount of annual payments according to the terms of the mortgage.

Develop and implement controls to ensure that the project complies with applicable HUD requirements.

Recalculate the project’s annual surplus cash balances for 2013, 2014, and 2015 after resolution of recommendations 1A, 1C, 1D, and 1F to determine whether the project should make additional payment to HUD from surplus cash toward its mortgage beyond the $13,740 that it paid during the audit.

Provide training and technical assistance to the owner and its management agent to ensure compliance with the terms of its mortgage and other applicable HUD requirements.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide supporting documentation to justify the $88,534 in unsupported travel and training costs related to out-of-State trainings, meetings, and conferences. Any amount determined to be ineligible should be repaid from non-Federal funds to the Operating Fund.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide supporting documentation to justify the $27,599 in unsupported training travel and per diem expenses related to quarterly meetings and trainings offered by HAI. Any amount determined to be ineligible should be repaid from non-Federal funds to the Operating Fund.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide supporting documentation to justify the $27,487 reimbursed to Authority officials for various costs, such as health coverage waiver incentives, supplies, food, and decorations. Any amount determined to be ineligible should be repaid from non-Federal funds to the Operating Fund.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to implement policies and procedures to ensure accountability for travel and training costs and require the Authority to maintain adequate supporting documents for travel, training, health coverage waiver incentives, supplies, food, decorations, and any other costs charged to the Capital Fund and Operating Fund to ensure that costs were actually incurred, necessary, reasonable and allowable.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to reimburse the Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for $61,145 in ineligible expenditures for personal expenses, such as meals, grocery items, gift cards, flowers, golf, an award dinner, Costco and AAA memberships, and a church deduction.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to reimburse the Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for $8,190 in ineligible salary advance.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to reimburse the Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for the $4,048 in ineligible civil service fines.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to obtain retroactive approval from HUD for the $90,000 lawsuit settlement related to a former employee. If approval is not obtained, the Authority should reimburse $90,000 to the Operating Fund from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to obtain retroactive approval from HUD for the pending litigation related to issues with the elevators. If approval is not obtained, the Authority should withdraw the lawsuit.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide documentation to support that $13,340 in rent collected in March 2016 was deposited into an appropriate bank account or repay the Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount not properly deposited.