We audited the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities’ implementation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to coordinate Federal weatherization efforts nationwide. This audit was part of our fiscal year 2010 audit plan. Our objective was to determine whether HUD multifamily properties were eligible to receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding under DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

We could not answer our objective because HUD did not have records on which properties had been weatherized. Although HUD entered into a memorandum of understanding with DOE to improve energy efficiency in its qualified housing properties, HUD did not require DOE to provide data on which HUD qualified housing properties had been selected to be weatherized. Specifically. HUD did not require DOE to report which HUD properties participated in the weatherization program. This condition occurred because HUD did not define or communicate its expectation for measuring whether its properties had been weatherized. As a result. HUD could not identify improved properties or cost savings achieved through reduced energy-costs.

We recommend that the Director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities request reports from DOE that identify which HUD qualified housing properties have been weatherized.