What We Audited and Why We audited the Orange City Housing Authority's (Authority) Housing Choice Voucher program because a regional risk assessment ranked the Authority fifth on our list of potential public housing authority audits in New Jersey. Our audit objectives were to determine whether (I) the Authority's Housing Choice Voucher program units met housing quality standards; (2) costs charged to the Housing Choice Voucher program were…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public and Indian Housing, phase-down for demolition add-on funding (phase-down funding) calculations for the Public Housing Operating Fund program. We initiated the audit based on results of a prior audit that indicated the Office of Public and Indian Housing add to always obtain adequate supporting documentation for public housing agencies before approving…

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)…

What We Audited and Why 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 objective 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…

What We Audited and Why We completed an audit of the Royal Oak Township Housing Commission's Public Housing Program. We selected the Housing Commission for audit based on two citizen complaints. The complainants alleged that the Housing Commission's Public Housing units were in poor physical condition, tenants were housed contrary to HUD's requirements, and Public Housing funds wer misspent. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether…

What We Audited and Why We audited the Durham Housing Authority's (Authority) financial operations and procurement procedures, because a prior Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit identified potential deficiencies in these areas. Our audit objectives were to determine if the Authority's misuse of funds, identified in our prior report, jeopardized its ability to operate its projects in a manner that promotes serviceability, economy,…

What We Audited and Why We completed an audit of the operations of the Petersburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (Authority) in response to a citizen's complaint. The complainant alleged procurement irregularities, accounting problems, and overall mismanagement at the Authority. Our audit objective was to determine if the Authority properly awarded contracts to its consultants and attorneys and whether it could support that it used HUD…

Our review identified several conditions regarding the use of HUD funds that were in violation of the ACC. As of September 30, 2003, PRPHA accounting records reflected net account receivables owed to its Low-Income Public Housing Program exceeding $5.97 million. Review of these receivables disclosed that the PRPHA: Improperly used HUD funds totaling about $1.1 million for activities not related to the administration of its public housing…

We completed an audit of the Fayette County Housing Authority's Section 8 Housing Program. The objective of our audit was to determine whether the Housing Authority operated its Section 8 Program in an efficient and effective manner and provided decent, safe and sanitary housing to its Section 8 tenants in compliance with HUD's requirements. We performed the audit in response to a request from HUD's Public Housing Program Center Coordinator,…

We completed an audit of the Coshocton Metropolitan Housing Authority's Public Housing Program. The review of the Housing Authority's Public Housing Program was conducted as part of a comprehensive review of the Authority. The comprehensive review was performed based upon a request from HUD's Columbus Field Office Coordinator of Public Housing Program Center. The objectives of the audit were to: (1) determine whether the Housing Authority had…

We completed an audit of the Coshocton Metropolitan Housing Authority's Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program for Fiscal Years 1997, 1998, and 1999. The audit of the Housing Authority's Program was conducted as part of a comprehensive review of the Authority. The comprehensive review was performed based upon a request from HUD's Columbus Field Office Coordinator of Public Housing Program Center. The objectives of the audit were to: (1)…

HUD became aware of the financial problems of HACC when the staff of the Office of Public Housing, Pennsylvania State Office, met with representatives of HACC on October 2, 2000.  HACC requested the meeting to discuss its declining Public Housing and Section 8 reserves and a shortfall in Hope VI funds. A HUD technical review was performed in October 2000 and the results were discussed with the HACC on November 20, 2000. At that time HACC…

We completed an audit of the Housing Authority of the City of Miami Beach, Florida (HACMB). We conducted the audit pursuant to a request by your office dated July 9, 1999. This report contains four findings that require follow-up action by your office to ensure HACMB implements appropriate corrective action. Within 60 days please give us a status report, for each recommendation in this report, on: (1) the corrective action taken; (2) the…

We have completed an audit of the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration's (PHA) management of its central office procurement system. We conducted the audit in response to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials and our ongoing concerns regarding the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration's financial management systems. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the PHA administered its activities in compliance…

The owner of hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth has been arrested and criminally charged with coercing more than a dozen of his tenants into sexual acts in exchange for financial relief, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Elizabeth Police Department Chief Giacomo Sacca and Director Earl Graves jointly announced Monday. Joseph Centanni, 73, of Mountainside is charged with eight…

HONOLULU – A federal jury today found Chun Mei Tong, also known as Mei Tong, 43, of Honolulu, guilty of five counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft for her scheme to use an alias and forge signatures to rent out properties under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") Housing Choice Voucher Program (also known as the "Section 8 Program") while she was also a HUD employee involved in overseeing the…

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for false representation of a Social Security number and theft of public money.      Noemi Mejia, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $164,987 in restitution. Mejia will be subject to deportation upon completion of her sentence. In…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former candidate for the Hoboken City Council was convicted today of conspiring to promote a voter bribery scheme by use of the mail, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.  Francis Raia, 67, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was a candidate for Hoboken City Council in 2013. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Travel Act for causing the mails to be used in aid of voter bribery, contrary to New Jersey…

A former Stuart Housing Authority employee pled guilty today to stealing government funds from the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program. Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Nadine Gurley, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), made the announcement. Cynthia Cabrera, 49, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, pled guilty today to one…

(Source: Geneseesun.com) ROCHESTER – Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Adam C. McFadden pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that McFadden was a member of the Rochester City Council, while co-…