We audited the Gonzales Housing Authority’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Public Housing Capital Fund formula grant because it met the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) most recent audit plan objective to contribute to the oversight objectives of the Recovery Act and the San Antonio Office of Public Housing recommended it for audit. Our objectives were to determine whether the Authority (1) properly obligated and spent its formula grant funds, (2) properly obtained its Recovery Act contracts, and (3) accurately reported its activities in a timely manner.

The Authority generally followed Recovery Act requirements with a minor exception. It (1) obligated the entire Recovery Act grant and spent all of the funds on eligible activities by the Recovery Act’s deadlines, (2) properly obtained most of its Recovery Act contracts, and (3) reported its activities accurately and in a timely manner. One minor error occurred when the Authority initially obligated funds for administrative expense but then used part of those funds for construction costs to renovate two vacant units, which resulted in its not obligating $7,600 by the deadline.

We recommend that the Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) San Antonio Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation for administrative expenses or repay HUD $7,600, which will be returned to the U.S. Treasury.