HUD OIG performed an audit of the Housing Authority of DeKalb County’s use of its net restricted assets based on a request from the Atlanta Office of Public Housing. The request indicated that a significant amount of net restricted assets was used to pay for items other than the required housing assistance payments. The purpose of the audit was to determine how the Authority expended its net restricted assets and what controls were in place to ensure that net restricted assets were not used for non–housing assistance payments.

The Authority used more than $2.5 million of its net restricted assets to pay ineligible program and administrative expenses for other assisted housing programs. The Authority did not (1) maintain separate bank accounts, (2) properly track its net restricted asset funds, and (3) have proper policies and controls in place. As a result, it misused net restricted asset funds that could have provided assistance to eligible families in its housing voucher program.

OIG recommended that the Director of Public and Indian Housing require the Authority to (1) reconcile its books and records to determine the amount of net restricted asset funds used to pay program and administrative expenses for various housing programs, (2) reimburse the net restricted assets fund account from non-Federal funds the $2.5 million or the current amount owed from various housing programs, and (3) implement its established policy for the use of net restricted assets to ensure that net restricted assets are properly used and bank accounts remain separated for the various programs.