We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Native American Programs’ Indian Housing Block Grant program.  We selected the program based on the results of a previous audit (audit report 2017-LA-1007) and concerns about the accuracy and completeness of tribal enrollment numbers that HUD used to allocate program funds to eligible Native American grantees.  Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD ensured the accuracy of tribal enrollment numbers submitted by registered Native American tribes or their tribally designated housing entities.
HUD did not ensure that grantees submitted accurate tribal enrollment numbers to support their allocated portion of program funding for fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017.  We attributed this condition to weaknesses in HUD’s internal control environment, which included the lack of written policies and procedures and inadequate reporting requirements.  As a result, there was an increased overall risk that more than $1.9 billion in program funding awarded to 377 grantees may not have been properly allocated.  Additionally, the increased risk could result in grantees’ receiving more or fewer program funds than they are entitled to receive to address the housing needs within the Native American community.   
We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Native American Programs (1) update the program’s information collection requirements on form HUD-4117 to ensure that grantees report annually, (2) revise form HUD-4117 to include certification and false claim statements to hold grantees responsible for the accurate reporting of tribal enrollment numbers, (3) develop and implement policies and procedures that would assist in the formal challenging of grantees’ reporting of tribal enrollment numbers, and (4) issue guidance to grantees on procedures to ensure the accurate reporting of tribal enrollment numbers.