We initiated an audit of the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts, Office of Community Development's (City) award and use of HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program set-aside funds as part of our annual audit plan. Our objective was to determine whether the City ensured that Contemporary Apartments, Inc. (Contemporary Apartments), met community development housing organization (CHDO) qualification requirements and whether the related CHDO project…

At the request of the Region X Multifamily Hub, we audited the John C Cannon Retirement and Assisted Living Residence (project) to determine if the project owner used project funds in accordance with the regulatory agreement. We found that the project owner failed to get HUD approval for leases costing $189,000, used project funds to obtain unneeded equipment costing $10,700, and failed to keep adequate documentation to support expenditures…

We audited the Housing Choice Voucher program (Voucher program) at the Quincy Housing Authority (Authority) as part of our annual audit plan. Our efforts focused on whether the Authority (1) ensured that its Section 8 administrative plan met the requirements of 24 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 982.54, (2) adequately accounted for its indirect cost charges, (3) used Voucher program funds only for the administration of the program and whether…

We audited late endorsement payment histories at Washington Mutual Bank (Washington Mutual), Seattle, Washington. We reported the results of our review in Audit Report 2005-SE-1006, issued on July 5, 2005. After the audit report was issued and the report recommendations were closed out in HUD’s Audit Resolution and Corrective Actions Tracking System (ARCATS), we recommended that HUD’s Office of General Counsel take additional sanctions…

We audited the Housing Choice Voucher (Voucher) program at the Taunton Housing Authority (Authority) as part of our annual audit plan. The overall audit objective was to determine whether the Authority efficiently administered its Voucher program in compliance with its annual contributions contract and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. Our specific objectives were to determine whether the Authority used Voucher…

At HUD's request, we audited the Housing Choice Voucher program of the Richland Housing Authority (Authority). HUD was concerned about the results of an audit of the Authority performed by the Washington State Auditor's Office. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority made ineligible purchases with program funds. We found that the Authority did not track its program expenses. Also, it charged more than $57,000 in unsupported and…

We audited Renton Housing Authority (Authority), Renton, Washington. The review was initiated due to a hotline complaint from a Housing Choice Voucher program recipient. The complainant stated that the contract rent was unreasonable because it exceeded the rent for comparable unassisted units on the premises. The audit objective was to determine whether the complaint was valid. We also wanted to determine whether the Authority had controls in…

We audited A Plus Mortgage, Inc. (A Plus), to determine whether (1) the fees charged to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers by A Plus were appropriate under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FHA, and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) regulations and (2) the loan officers originating FHA-insured loans were employees of A Plus. A Plus disregarded HUD FHA requirements and provisions of RESPA and engaged…

We reviewed the use of contract fee inspectors by the Office of Multifamily Housing Boston Hub (Boston Hub) as part of our 2007 annual audit plan. This review was initiated because U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) staff rely on contract fee inspectors to oversee the work of contractors performing renovation work on HUD-insured properties. Our objective was to determine whether the Boston Hub effectively used contract fee…

We audited the Tacoma Consortium HOME Investment Partnerships Program as a result of a risk assessment performed by HUD-OIG Region IX. Our objective was to determine whether the Consortium complied with HOME requirements, laws, and regulations with respect to the homeowner rehabilitation program and HUD procurement regulations. The Consortium generally administered HOME in accordance with HUD requirements but violated HOME regulations when it…

We audited the Housing Choice Voucher program (Voucher program) at the Holyoke Housing Authority (Authority) as part of our fiscal year 2007 annual audit plan. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority administered the Voucher program in accordance with its annual contributions contracts and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. Our efforts focused on whether the Authority properly (1)…

We reviewed the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs administered by the Community Development Agency, City of Fall River, Massachusetts (City) as part of our annual audit plan. Our audit objective was to determine whether the City administered its CDBG and HOME programs in compliance with U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. We focused on whether the City: (1…

As part of our annual plan, we audited the Office of Housing and Community Development, City of New Bedford, Massachusetts' (City) administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. Our audit objective was to determine whether the City complied with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations in administering its CDBG and HOME programs. The City generally…

As part of our annual plan, we audited the Office of Community Development, City of Chicopee, Massachusetts' (City) administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs. The objective of the audit was to evaluate the City's administration of its housing rehabilitation contracts funded through the CDBG or HOME programs and its oversight and monitoring of various for-profit developers (developers) involved in the…

Defendant alleged to have voted in the 2024 presidential election; lived under stolen identity for more than 20 years; obtained a Real ID; and improperly received more than $400,000 in stolen federal benefitsBOSTON – A Colombian woman, unlawfully residing in Boston, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for identity theft offenses, including receiving rental assistance, Social Security and SNAP benefits, as well as voter fraud under the…

Defendant allegedly received over $250,000 in housing benefitsBOSTON – A Colombian woman residing in Boston was arrested for identity theft offenses and stealing housing benefits.Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 58, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of false representation of a Social Security number, one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one…

BOSTON – A Quincy landlord has agreed to a settlement for a False Claims Act violation. Mario Bianco, 79, of Quincy has agreed to pay a $15,200 settlement for submitting false claims to the government after receiving side payments in excess of approved monthly rent from a low-income tenant participating in a federal housing subsidy program.The Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly referred to as “Section 8,” provides federal…

Defendant purchased alpaca farm using fraudulently obtained pandemic relief funds BOSTON – A former North Shore resident was sentenced today in connection with filing fraudulent applications for more than $660,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds and using those funds for personal expenses, including the purchase of an alpaca farm in Vermont. Dana L. McIntyre, 59, of Grafton, Vt. and previously of Beverly and Essex, Mass., was…

BOSTON – An individual pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with fraudulently using the identity of a U.S. citizen. Alexander Villalona Diaz, 37, previously of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Senior District Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 4, 2023. In December 2020, Villalona Diaz was indicted by…