Provide support to show that the performance history element was factored as part of the grantees’ capacity to manage the grants awarded through the 2025 NOFO.

Reevaluate ‘High Risk’ designation criteria as part of the SOP update and reimplement its updated ‘High Risk’ criteria to reflect how grantees will be designated as ‘High Risk’ within the program. In addition, train OLHCHH staff on the new ‘High Risk’ designation criteria stated in the SOP.

Notify grantees of HUD’s updated ‘High Risk’ designation criteria and HUD’s expectations when designated as ‘High Risk.’

Provide assistance to the nine identified ‘High Risk’ grantees that will help meet established performance benchmarks to be completed by the end of the respective grants in 2026.

Recapture $3,775,916 in undisbursed grant funds not used to meet agreed-upon performance benchmarks for the two identified ‘High Risk’ grantees whose period of performance ended in June and July 2025, respectively. In addition, identify those grantees that received 2020 through 2022 LBPHC and LHRD grants with a period of performance that ended on or before December 31, 2025, to determine whether agreed-upon performance benchmarks were met by that date, and take appropriate actions that include recapturing undisbursed grant funds.

Consider grantees’ suggestions to improve training sessions, technical assistance, and communication of information that grantees can use to help meet agreed-upon performance benchmarks. In addition, provide documentation to support the guidance OLHCHH plans to share with grantees to ensure agreed-upon performance benchmarks are met.

Reassess, establish, and incorporate a maximum review period of grantee-submitted QPRs into an SOP. Inform staff of the review period to ensure consistency and understanding of HUD’s expectations of the time to review grantee-submitted QPRs. In addition, establish formal guidance and implement internal controls to monitor and track the timely review of QPRs.

Work with the prime award recipients that had subaward reporting deficiencies to ensure that their subaward information is reported or reported accurately.

Update and expand the guidance provided to prime award recipients by (1) updating program website(s) with comprehensive information about FFATA, (2) implementing training, (3) issuing formal communication, and (4) implementing a feedback mechanism to ensure that all prime award recipients have the opportunity to share challenges with HUD and ask questions.

Integrate FFATA reporting requirements into the program monitoring procedures for all programs and conduct regular reviews to assess compliance.

Update HUD regulations, policies, and procedures following the regulatory process required by the amended Lead Safe Housing Rule, in consideration of CDC's lowered BLRV of 3.5 ug/dL.

Status

As of January 30, 2026, the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) informed HUD OIG that HUD has circulated for comment a joint notice for HUD offices impacted by the modified elevated blood lead level (EBLL) threshold.  These offices include OLHCHH, the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs (MF), and the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH).  The OLHCHH's estimated completion date is February 2026.

Analysis

To fully address this recommendation, OLHCHH must provide evidence that HUD has updated its regulations, policies, and procedures so that they are consistent with CDC’s lowered BLRV of 3.5 ug/dL.

Implementation of this recommendation will help ensure children living in public housing with EBLLs receive effective environmental interventions.

Update applicable requirements to require assisted property owners, including PHAs, to maintain adequate documentation to support their determinations that maintenance and hazard reduction activities that disturb surfaces with lead-based paint qualify for the de minimis exemption from the lead-safe work practices under the Lead Safe Housing Rule.

Status

To address this recommendation, The Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) agreed to:                                                                                                                      
1. Issue a notice to assisted target housing owners and public housing agencies on the de minimis exception citing the correct application of the de minimis threshold; describing appropriate documentation methods for the application of the de minimis threshold; and recommendations of best practices for documenting applications.
2. Collect additional data regarding the use of the de minimis threshold, including information on how private and public housing owners: (a) determine how much paint in target housing will be disturbed during a maintenance or rehabilitation project; (b) use the paint disturbance area information; (c) monitor the amount of paint disturbed in projects that are designed to disturb de minimis amounts of paint in target housing.
3. Design and conduct webinars, including at least one for each program office’s major categories of stakeholders on requirements and best practices pertaining to the de minimis exception under the Lead Safe Housing Rule and its implementation; record the webinars on the HUD website (e.g., on HUD Exchange) for future viewing by stakeholders; and conduct outreach promoting the webinars. 
The OLHCHH had drafted guidance on the de minimis exception to the Lead Safe Housing Rule for PIH, Multifamily Housing, and CPD and submitted it through the clearance process in September 2024.  As of January 2026, OLHCHH continues to revise the draft guidance in consideration of the comments it received during the clearance review process.  However, HUD has not provided an updated target date to complete the agreed upon actions, which was January 31, 2024.

Analysis

To implement this recommendation, HUD needs to provide evidence that it has implemented the three actions OLHCHH agreed to complete.

Implementation of this recommendation and associated corrective actions will ensure assisted property owners are sufficiently informed regarding the requirements to support their determinations that maintenance and hazard reduction activities that disturb surfaces with lead-based paint qualify for the de minimis exemption from the lead-safe work practices under the Lead Safe Housing Rule and that assisted property owners are conducting this work safely, thereby ensuring households are residing in safe and healthy HUD-assisted housing.