The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Springfield Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2008 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing agencies in Region V's jurisdiction. Our objective was to determine whether the…

HUD OIG audited Meridian Lending, Inc., a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved direct endorsement lender. The objectives were to determine whether it followed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) requirements for (1) borrower eligibility and creditworthiness and property eligibility when underwriting loans and (2) implementing a quality control program. Meridian did not follow HUD requirements in originating two…

HUD OIG audited the City of Augusta's HOME Investment Partnerships program. The audit was part of the activities in the fiscal year 2007 annual audit plan. The objectives were to determine whether the City complied with HOME program requirements for commitments, production and completion of project activities, and eligibility and support of project costs. The City's controls over its HOME program were inadequate. As a result, more than $1…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited Cook County's (County) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (Program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2007 annual audit plan. We selected the County based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to Program grantees in Region V's jurisdiction. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the County effectively…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Peoria Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2007 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing agencies in Region V's jurisdiction. Our objective was to determine whether the…

As part of HUD OIG's strategic plan, we audited Fulton County's (County) HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the County complied with HOME program requirements for review and approval of project activities, commitments, completion of project activities, eligibility and reasonableness of project costs, and matching funds. The County did not properly manage its HOME program and consistently…

As part of HUD OIG's strategic plan, an audit was conducted of HUD's Atlanta Office of Public and Indian Housing oversight of the Housing Authority of DeKalb County's compliance with its memorandum of agreement. The primary objective was to determine whether Public Housing adequately monitored the Authority's implementation of operating improvements required in the agreement. Specifically, the objective was to determine whether Public Housing…

We audited the Benton Harbor Housing Commission's (Commission) Public Housing Captial Fund program (program). The audit was conducted based upon a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Detroit Office of Public Housing. Our objectives were to determine whether the Commission operated its program in a manner that provides reasonable assurance that (1) expenditures were adequately supported and eligible and (2)…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Gary's (Authority) Section 8 housing program. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2005 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon a risk analysis the identified it as having a high risk Section 8 housing program. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority managed its Section 8 program in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and…

We audited the Kankakee County Housing Authority's (Authority) Low-Rent Housing Program. The audit was conducted in response to a citizen's complaint to our office and was part of our comprehensive audit of the Authority. The object of our audit was to determine whether the Authority administered its Low-Rent Housing program in an efficient and effective manner. We determined whether the Authority had adequate procedures and controls over its…

We completed an audit of the Kankakee Count Housing Authority's Section 8 Housing Program. The audit was conducted based upon a citizen's complaint to our Office. The objectives of our audit were to determine where the Authority: (1) administered its Section 8 Program in an efficient and effective manner; and (2) provided decent, safe, and sanitary housing for its Section 8 tenants. This audit is part of our on-going comprehensive audit of the…

CHICAGO — A Chicago businessman was sentenced today to more than 17 years in federal prison for bilking elderly homeowners in a reverse mortgage and home repair scheme.MARK STEVEN DIAMOND schemed with others to induce homeowners to unwittingly obtain reverse mortgage loans to pay for purported home repairs that Diamond offered to perform.  Diamond and the co-schemers targeted elderly victims in the Chicago area based on the amount of…

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in Chicago that bilked multiple financial institutions out of more than $1.5 million.LEE HOLLIDAY, 66, of Schererville, Ind., pleaded guilty last year to a federal bank fraud charge.  U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on Friday sentenced Holliday to three years and three months in federal prison.Holliday admitted in a…