We audited the Fresno Housing Authority due to a complaint alleging that the Authority steered contracts, did not seek competition for all of its required procurements, and did not maintain adequate supporting documentation.  The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority used its operating and capital funds in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements when procuring goods and…

We audited Member First Mortgage, Limited Liability Company, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) nonsupervised servicer as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan.  We selected Member First based upon our analysis of risk factors for single-family servicing lenders in Region 5’s jurisdiction.   Our audit objectives were to determine whether (1) Member First complied with the U.S. Department of Housing…

We audited the Detroit Housing Commission’s Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan.  We selected the Commission based upon a citizen’s complaint alleging mismanagement in the administration of the Commission’s former program projects, Colony Arms and Fisher Arms Apartments.  Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Commission appropriately (1) maintained…

We audited the City of West Covina’s Community Development Block Grant program because of a news article 1  raising concerns about the City’s financial policies and past spending practices that included the mismanagement of funds.  The review was also the first time that the Office of Inspector General had conducted a review of the City.  Our objective was to determine whether the City administered its program in accordance with…

We audited Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates, LTD’s underwriting of a $22.8 million mortgage loan to refinance Lafayette Towers Apartments, a 584-unit highrise multifamily project in Detroit, MI.  We initiated the review based on the early default, assignment, and significant amount of the project.  Our objective was to determine whether Prudential underwrote and processed the loan for Lafayette Towers according to the U.S.…

We audited the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino’s Shelter Plus Care program due to a public complaint alleging that the Authority disregarded U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program requirements related to participants’ eligibility.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program funds in accordance with HUD rules and requirements, specifically related to participants’…

We audited Sutton Irvine Residence, Inc.’s Section 202-funded project based on concerns expressed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of General Counsel, Departmental Enforcement Center, regarding the management of the project.  The concern was that Sutton Irvine had defaulted on its mortgage payments to HUD and may have diverted project funds for nonproject expenses.  Our audit objective was to…

We audited Veterans First’s Supportive Housing Program (SHP) based on a referral from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General’s Office of Investigation and a hotline complaint, alleging that Veterans First employees were directed to prepare false accounting documents.  Our objective was to determine whether expenditures Veterans First charged to its SHP grants and program fees it charged to…

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), conducted a limited review of the Oakland Housing Authority’s Moving to Work Housing Choice Voucher program’s use of exception payment standards exceeding the Authority’s 110 percent limit on fair market rents.  The review was initiated as a result of a congressional request alleging fraud, waste, and abuse by public housing agencies…

We audited New Image Emergency Shelter’s Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program based on a referral from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General’s (HUD OIG) Office of Investigation and a citizen complaint, alleging that New Image lacked adequate documentation to support program expenditures and employee salaries. Our objective was to determine whether New Image administered and…

We audited Lake Village of Fairlane Apartments as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2014 annual audit plan.  We selected the project based on a referral from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Detroit Office of Multifamily Housing Programs.  Our objective was to determine whether the project’s owner and former management agents operated the project in accordance with HUD’s requirements and the…

We audited the Lake Village of Auburn Hills multifamily project as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2014 annual audit plan.  We selected the project based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Detroit Office of Multifamily Housing.  Our objective was to determine whether the project’s owner and former management agents operated the project in accordance with the regulatory agreement…

We initiated a review of the City of Los Angeles’ Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program due to concerns that CDBG-funded assets may be at risk.  We performed our review to address questionable costs identified during a prior Office of Inspector General review (audit report 2014-LA-0001).  Our objective was to determine whether the City maintained the required documentation for its CDBG-funded projects to support its vested…

We assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of California in the civil investigation of Reunion Mortgage, Inc. (Reunion).  Reunion is a former Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved mortgage lender, with its principal place of business located in Milpitas, CA.  Based in large part on our review of loans underwritten by Reunion between December 2007 through October 2009, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a…

We conducted a civil fraud review of an alleged loan origination fraud scheme involving a loan officer that assisted a borrower to purchase a home under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Housing Administration (FHA) program.  The alleged scheme involved submitting a false loan application and other documentation to obtain an FHA-insured loan on a home in Brentwood, CA.  Based in part on OIG’s review,…

We audited the City of Pomona’s Neighborhood Stabilization Programs (NSP1 and NSP3).  We initiated the audit because of a hotline complaint with concerns regarding the administration of program funds.  Our objective was to determine whether the City administered its NSP funds in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules and requirements.  Specifically, we wanted to determine whether…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Detroit Office of Public Housing as part of a nationwide audit of HUD’s oversight of environmental reviews.  We selected the Detroit Office based on our risk assessment.  Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Detroit Office’s oversight of public housing environmental reviews within its jurisdiction ensured that (1) the responsible entities performed…

We audited the Pontiac Housing Commission’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program based on our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing agencies in Region 5’s  jurisdiction.  Our objective was to determine whether the Commission complied with Federal, State, or its own requirements regarding its Family Self-Sufficiency program and conflicts of interest. The Commission did not always administer its Family Self-Sufficiency…

We audited the Ferndale Housing Commission’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2014 annual audit plan.  We selected the Commission based upon an analysis of risk factors related to public housing agencies in Region 5’s jurisdiction.   Our objectives were to determine whether the Commission appropriately (1) calculated housing assistance payments, (2) maintained required…

We audited the Jackson Housing Commission’s Section 8 program as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2014 annual audit plan.  We selected the Commission based on our analysis of the risk factors relating to public housing agencies in Region 5’s jurisdiction.  Our objective was to determine whether the Commission administered its program in accordance with HUD’s and its own program requirements. The Commission generally…