Carbon Monoxide in HUD-Assisted Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program offices issued departmental notices to inform public housing agencies (PHA) and owners of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021’s (the Act) requirements. In addition, HUD program offices planned to use HUD’s revised physical inspection processes to ensure that PHAs and owners complied with the Act, namely under its new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real…
October 26, 2023
Report
#2022-OE-0004
HUD Can Improve Its Oversight of the Physical Condition of Public Housing Developments
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) oversight of the physical condition of public housing developments. Our audit objective was to assess HUD’s oversight of the physical condition of public housing developments; specifically, whether HUD had adequate oversight of public housing agencies’ (PHA) (1) corrective actions in response to periodic Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspections and (2) annual self-…
May 30, 2023
Report
#2023-CH-0004
The Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority, Canton, OH, Did Not Always Comply With Federal and Its Own Procurement Requirements
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 (…
May 24, 2023
Report
#2023-CH-1002
Improvements Are Needed To Ensure That Public Housing Properties Are Inspected in a Timely Manner
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Real Estate Assessment Center’s inspection process. The audit objectives were to determine whether the Center (1) ensured that public housing properties were inspected within required timeframes before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; (2) could improve its Big Inspection Plan for inspecting high-priority non-National Standards for the Physical Inspection of…
May 23, 2023
Report
#2023-CH-0003
HUD Did Not Comply with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fiscal year 2022 compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) and implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. PIIA was enacted to prevent and reduce improper payments and require each agency’s inspector general to perform an annual review of the agency’s compliance with PIIA. Our objectives were to assess (1) whether HUD had met…
May 22, 2023
Report
#2023-FO-0009
Opportunities Exist to Enhance Oversight of the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative to Improve Program Effectiveness
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public Housing Voucher Programs’ oversight of the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative (FYI). We audited the program early in its implementation to identify opportunities to improve the program’s design and effectiveness. Our audit objective was to determine the effectiveness of FYI.
Opportunities exist to enhance oversight of the Foster Youth to Independence…
March 29, 2023
Report
#2023-LA-0004
The Philadelphia Housing Authority Needs To Improve Oversight Of Lead-Based Paint In Its Public Housing
We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) management of lead‐based paint in its public housing program based on our assessment of the risks of lead‐based paint in public housing agencies’ (PHA) housing developments. The risk factors included the age of buildings, the number of units, household demographics, reported cases of childhood lead poisoning, and reports of missing lead‐based paint inspections in HUD’s data. The audit…
March 22, 2023
Report
#2023-CH-1001
HUD Could Improve Its Process for Evaluating the Performance of Public Housing Agencies’ Housing Choice Voucher Programs
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) based on our report on HUD’s top management challenges for fiscal years 2020 through 2022 and HUD’s strategic goals and objectives reported in its strategic plan for 2018 through 2022. Our audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of HUD’s SEMAP as a performance measure for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program.…
March 06, 2023
Report
#2023-CH-0002
Improvements are Needed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Processes for Monitoring Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States. There is no safe blood lead level in children, and there is no cure for lead poisoning. Therefore, it is important to prevent exposure to lead, especially among children.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (…
February 28, 2023
Report
#2021-OE-0011b
Fiscal Year 2022 Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 Penetration Test and Vulnerability Assessment
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) requires all Federal agencies to conduct independent penetration tests and vulnerability assessments on a sampling of information systems annually. In conjunction with our fiscal year 2022 FISMA evaluation (2022-OE-0001), we conducted a targeted penetration test and vulnerability assessment of sample systems that resulted in a Topic Brief. The objective of this testing was to…
December 14, 2022
Report
#2022-OE-0001a
Audit of HUD’s Fiscal Years 2022 and 2021 Financial Statements
We contracted with the independent public accounting firm of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) to audit the financial statements of HUD as of and for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, and to provide reports on HUD’s 1) internal control over financial reporting; and 2) compliance with laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements and other matters, including whether financial management systems complied substantially with the…
November 17, 2022
Report
#2023-FO-0004
Improvements are Needed in HUD’s Fraud Risk Management Program
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fraud risk management program at the enterprise and program-office levels and assessed its overall maturity. Our objective was to determine HUD’s progress in implementing a fraud risk management framework at the enterprise and program-office levels that encompasses control activities to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud.
The Antifraud Playbook established by the Chief…
October 26, 2022
Report
#2023-FO-0001
Sale of Section 184 Properties on Tribal Trust and Other Restricted Lands
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Native American Programs’ sale of defaulted loan notes and real estate-owned (REO) properties on tribal trust and other restricted lands. We performed this audit as a result of congressional interest in the Section 184 program and work performed during prior HUD, Office of Inspector General, audits. The objective of our audit was to determine whether HUD…
October 13, 2022
Report
#2023-LA-0001
HUD Lacked Adequate Oversight of Lead-Based Paint Hazard Remediation in Public Housing
HUD established procedures in the Lead Safe Housing Rule in 1999 to eliminate lead-based paint hazards, as far as practicable, in public housing. However, it did not have a plan to manage lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in public housing. Additionally, HUD generally did not monitor whether public housing agencies had implemented lead-based paint hazard reduction and documented the activities at their public housing developments…
October 11, 2022
Report
#2023-CH-0001
Fraud Risk Inventory for the Tenant- and Project-Based Rental Assistance, HOME, and Operating Fund Programs’ CARES and ARP Act Funds
In coordination with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, we conducted an audit to identify potential fraud schemes that could affect HUD’s pandemic funds. We reviewed the funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Public Housing…
September 29, 2022
Report
#2022-FO-0007
Risk Indicators of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing Agencies
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States. When lead-based paint peels and cracks, it results in lead-contaminated paint chips and dust. Children can be poisoned if they chew on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, eat flaking paint chips, or eat or breathe in…
September 28, 2022
Report
#2021-OE-0011a
Corrective Action Verification Government Purchase Card Program and Government Travel Card Program Audit Recommendations
We completed a corrective action verification (CAV) of recommendations from prior Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit reports on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) government purchase cards and government travel cards, both issued January 31, 2020. During our CAV, we followed up on all 10 recommendations from OIG audit report 2020-KC-0001 and all 13 recommendations from OIG audit report 2020-KC-0002. Our CAV…
August 24, 2022
Report
#2022-FO-0006
Long Branch Housing Authority, Long Branch, NJ, Did Not Properly Handle Income and Expenses Related to Agreements With Other Housing Agencies
We audited the Long Branch Housing Authority based on the results of our previous audits of the Asbury Park and Red Bank Housing Authorities, which received management services and technical assistance from Long Branch for several years. The objective of the audit was to determine whether Long Branch properly handled income and expenses associated with its agreements with Asbury Park and Red Bank in accordance with requirements.
Long Branch did…
August 24, 2022
Report
#2022-NY-1003
HUD Compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fiscal year 2021 compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) and implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. PIIA was enacted to prevent and reduce improper payments and require each agency’s inspector general to perform an annual review of the agency’s compliance with PIIA. Our objectives were to assess (1) whether HUD had…
June 27, 2022
Report
#2022-FO-0005
The Housing Authority of Plainfield, NJ, Did Not Always Comply With Requirements When Administering Its Public Housing Programs
We audited the Housing Authority of Plainfield, NJ’s administration of its public housing programs. We selected the Authority based on a risk analysis of public housing agencies in New Jersey that considered the size of the agency, the amount of operating and capital funds received, and previous work conducted by the Office of Inspector General. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority administered its Public Housing…
March 30, 2022
Report
#2022-NY-1002