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Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse
May 24, 2023
  • Public and Indian Housing
2023-CH-1002
Full Report
Accessible PDF

We audited the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority’s public housing program based on significant deficiencies noted during our prior audit of the Authority.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority complied with Federal and its own requirements for procuring goods and services.

The Authority did not always comply with Federal and its own procurement requirements.  Specifically, for the contracts reviewed, it did not always (1) maintain complete and consistent documentation detailing the significant history of procurements, (2) properly execute contracts for pest control services, (3) maintain sufficient documentation to support the reasonableness of contract costs, and (4) include the minimum and maximum quantity or amount in its indefinite-quantity delivery contracts.  Further, the Authority paid more than the contract value for services procured with one contractor.  These issues occurred because the Authority lacked adequate oversight, procedures, and controls over its procurements to ensure compliance with Federal and its own requirements.  As a result, HUD and the Authority lacked assurance that the Authority used Federal funds to pay for goods and services at reasonable costs.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Cleveland Office of Public Housing require the Authority to (1) support the reasonableness of the costs paid for its unsupported procurement and contracting activities or repay its Public Housing Operating Fund or Capital Fund program from non-Federal funds for any amount determined not to be reasonable; (2) ensure that its staff is appropriately trained on Federal procurement requirements; and (3) implement adequate procedures and controls, including but not limited to, ensuring that proper documentation is maintained, contracts are procured in accordance with Federal and the Authority’s procurement requirements, procurement staff complies with Federal procurement requirements, and payments are appropriately reconciled.  We also recommend that the Director of HUD’s Cleveland Office of Public Housing determine whether the Authority qualifies for an exemption from preaward review.

Recommendations

Public and Indian Housing

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-A
    $80,685.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    Closed on June 13, 2024

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Cleveland Office of Public Housing require the Authority to Support the reasonableness of $80,685 paid to a vendor for pest control services without a valid contract or repay its Public Housing Operating Fund or Capital Fund program from non-Federal funds for any amount determined not to be reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-B
    Closed on May 10, 2024

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Cleveland Office of Public Housing require the Authority to Support the reasonableness of the amounts paid for the two noncompetitively awarded contracts (0917 and 1125) that lacked adequate support for the independent cost estimate and price analysis or repay its Public Housing Operating Fund or Capital Fund program from non-Federal funds for any amount determined not to be reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-C
    $48,310.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Cleveland Office of Public Housing require the Authority to support the $48,310 in excess costs paid for landscaping services or reimburse its program from non-Federal funds.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-D
    $57,902.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    For the contract activities during the period of January 1, 2020, through April 2022, the Director should require the Authority to support the reasonableness of $57,902 paid to three vendors for pest control services without a valid contract or repay its Public Housing Operating Fund or Capital Fund program from non-Federal funds for any amount determined not to be reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-E

    For the contract activities during the period of January 1, 2020, through April 2022, the Director should require the Authority to support the reasonableness of the change orders that increased the price of the contract (0216) by more than $1.1 million or repay its Public Housing Operating Fund or Capital Fund program from non-Federal funds for any amount determined not to be reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-F

    For the contract activities during the period of January 1, 2020, through April 2022, the Director should require the Authority to support the contract modifications and the reasonableness of the increased costs for four contracts (0824, 0505, 1023 and 0731) or repay its Public Housing Operating Fund or Capital Fund program from non-Federal funds for any amount determined not to be reasonable.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-G
    Closed on February 02, 2024

    For the contract activities during the period of January 1, 2020, through April 2022, the Director should require the Authority to ensure that its staff is appropriately trained and familiar with Federal procurement requirements regarding cost estimates and cost analyses.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-H

    For the contract activities during the period of January 1, 2020, through April 2022, the Director should require the Authority to implement adequate procedures and controls, including but not limited to ensuring that (1) proper documentation is maintained, (2) contracts are procured in accordance with Federal and the Authority’s procurement requirements, (3) procurement staff complies with Federal procurement requirements, and (4) payments are appropriately reconciled.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2023-CH-1002-001-I
    Closed on September 06, 2023

    We also recommend that the Director of HUD’s Cleveland Office of Public Housing determine whether the Authority qualifies for an exemption from preaward review.