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November 13, 2008
  • Public and Indian Housing
2009-PH-1001
ig0931001.pdf

We audited the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority's (Authority) administration of its housing quality standards inspection program for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program as part of our fiscal year 2008 audit plan. Our audit was to determine whether the Authority adequately administered its Section 8 housing quality standards inspection program to ensure that its program units met housing quality standards in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements.

The Authority did not adequately administer its inspection program to ensure that its program units met housing quality standards as required. We inspected 62 housing units and found that 42 units did not meet HUD's housing quality standards. Moreover, 26 of the 62 units had material health and safety violations that the Authority's inspectors neglected to report during their last inspection. As a result, the Authority spent $68,506 in program funds on units that were not decent, safe, and sanitary. If the Authority does not implement adequate procedures and controls to ensure that its program units meet housing quality standards, we estimate that over the next year it will pay more than $1.1 in housing assistance on units with material housing quality standards violations.

We recommend that HUD require the Authority to ensure that housing units inspected during the audit are repaired to meet HUD's housing quality standards, reimburse its program from nonfederal funds for the improper use of $68,506 in program funds for units that materially failed to meet HUD's housing quality standards, and implement adequate procedures and controls to ensure that in the future, program units meet housing quality standards to prevent an estimated $1.1 million from being spent annually on units that materially fail to meet HUD's housing quality standards.