We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to implement an internal audit function that satisfies program requirements.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to revise its monitoring policy to include the role of the internal auditor once implemented, and finalize and fully implement or revise its fraud, waste, and abuse detection policy to reflect current procedures.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to update its Web site to include current quarterly performance, budget, and progress reports.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to obtain technical assistance concerning the disaster recovery program requirements, including related Federal Register requirements. Specifically, the technical assistance should include guidance on how to satisfy the requirement regarding maintaining an internal audit function and Web site maintenance.

Acknowledge that the judgment awarded $10,373,998 against the former president and founder of MDR Mortgage to the U.S. Government, of which HUD’s loss totaled $3,452,499.

Acknowledge that $45 million in the attached settlement agreement represents an amount due HUD, less the Department of Justice’s civil debt collection fees.

Director for the Office of Field Management ensure that the CDBG-DR risk analysis worksheet includes risk factors that show the measurement of performance outputs to determine completed activities.

Director for the Office of Field Management update the risk analysis guidance for CDBG-DR grants to include the assessment of the likelihood of risk occurrence to help inform management which critical risks to address during monitoring.

Director for the DRSI Division ensure that monitoring strategies correlate to the high-risk areas identified during the risk analysis and are in compliance with the central risk factor categories identified in HUD’s Monitoring Desk Guide.

Ensure that CPD personnel that plan for, award, and manage grants and other forms of financial assistance receive formal risk analysis training.

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.