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.
2017-NY-1008 | March 09, 2017
The Irvington, NJ, Housing Authority Did Not Always Administer Its Public Housing Program in Accordance With Program Requirements
Public and Indian Housing
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-DOpenClosed
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-EOpenClosed$61,145Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
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.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-FOpenClosed$8,190Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
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.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-GOpenClosed$4,048Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
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.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-HOpenClosed$90,000Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
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.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-IOpenClosed
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.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-JOpenClosed$13,340Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
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.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-KOpenClosed$106,971Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide documentation to justify the $106,971 in unsupported rent that was written off for 52 tenants. Any amount determined to be ineligible should be repaid from non-Federal funds to the Operating Fund.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-LOpenClosed$7,164Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to collect $7,164 in outstanding rent from the resident commissioner and if past-due rent is not paid, take appropriate legal action.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-MOpenClosed$21,857Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to reimburse the program income account from non-Federal funds for $21,857 in ineligible expenditures for golf outings, banquets, or dinner shows.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-NOpenClosed$37,671Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide documentation to justify $37,671 that did not have receipts or other support showing how these transactions were used for low-income housing and benefited the residents or repay the program income account from non-Federal funds for any amount not supported.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-OOpenClosed
We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to develop and implement an appropriate policy for program income, including the proper use, accounting, and reporting of program income in accordance with the Federal definition and treatment of program income.
- Status2017-NY-1008-001-POpenClosed$710,721Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing instruct Authority officials to provide documentation to show that the $710,721 paid for services procured was for costs that were reasonable or repay from non-Federal funds approximately $500,000 to the Operating Fund and approximately $200,000 to the Capital Fund. Footnote: Regulations at 24 CFR 905.306(f) require that all capital funds be spent within 48 months after the date on which they become available. Funds that have not been properly spent within 48 months have to be recaptured and returned to the U.S. Treasury.
2017-FO-0801 | March 01, 2017
Independent Attestation Review: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, DATA Act Implementation Efforts
Chief Financial Officer
- Status2017-FO-0801-001-AOpenClosed
Request sufficient monetary resources to upgrade HUD’s many legacy and financial systems so its technologies and data elements no longer differ and can perform the necessary data inventory and mapping to report HUD’s information in USASpending.gov accurately and in a timely manner.
- Status2017-FO-0801-001-BOpenClosed
Ensure that HUD program officials continue taking appropriate steps to fully resolve its errors and data quality issues that the agency identified during implementation, including those related to assigning a unique identifier consistent with the established DATA Act schema, such as the Federal Award Identification Number.
- Status2017-FO-0801-001-COpenClosed
Designate official DATA Act points of contact for FHA and Ginnie Mae and oversee the progress of the two HUD components’ individual implementation plans, ensuring timely and successful completion of their steps.
- Status2017-FO-0801-001-DOpenClosed
Finalize required mapping of HUD’s, including FHA’s and Ginnie Mae’s, financial, budgetary and programmatic data, as required by the DATA Act and OMB guidance.
2017-FO-0005 | February 28, 2017
HUD’s Fiscal Years 2016 and 2015 (Restated) Consolidated Financial Statements Audit (Reissued)
Chief Financial Officer
- Status2017-FO-0005-001-AOpenClosed
Evaluate the current content of HUD’s financial statement note disclosures to identify outdated or irrelevant information that may not be needed, while maintaining compliance with OMB Circular A-136 and presenting the reader with the information necessary to understand HUD’s financial statements.
- Status2017-FO-0005-001-BOpenClosed
Work with FHA and Ginnie Mae to reevaluate the note consolidation process to determine changes that can be made to the process to ensure compliance with financial reporting requirements.
- Status2017-FO-0005-001-COpenClosed
Reassess HUD’s current consolidated financial statement and notes review process to ensure that (1) all reviewers have sufficient financial reporting experience; (2) it includes steps to verify that the notes match HUD’s financial statements, are sufficiently supported, and accurately include FHA and Ginnie Mae information; and the review can be completed within the required timeframe needed to allow for audit.