We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) oversight of its Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program and found that 33 borrowers had more than 1 loan under the program.  Having multiple loans violated program requirements because HUD requires borrowers to reside in the mortgaged residence as their principal residence and borrowers may not have more than one principal residence at a time.  We referred…

Historically, HUD program managers have not wanted to enforce program requirements. That reluctance increases the risk that program funds will not provide maximum benefits to recipients and allows serious noncompliances to go unchecked. When it was created, the Departmental Enforcement Center had independent enforcement authority, but it lost that authority when it moved from the Deputy Secretary’s office to the Office of General Counsel (OGC…

We audited the underwriting of a $45.6 million mortgage loan that was acquired by Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage, Inc. (the Lender) to rehabilitate Wingate Towers and Garden Apartments. The audit was performed based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Multifamily Development. The Lender acquired and became responsible for the loan origination activities, personnel, books and records…

HUD OIG conducted an evaluation of HUD's Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC), specifically, the Compliance Division. We wanted to know whether DEC processed suspension and debarment referrals in a timely manner. We also wanted to identify ways to improve case management for suspensions and debarments. Between October 1, 2006, and December 9, 2009, the Compliance Division received a total of 978 suspension and/or debarment referrals (cases)…

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Timothy J. Oravec, age 59, of Poughkeepsie, New York, was arrested today on charges that he defrauded the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and some of its employees by falsely claiming to have cancer, and obtaining and using leave time donated to him by his colleagues. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge for HUD’s…

Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Investigation of HUD Lobbying Activities February 26, 2014 - 10:00 a.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2128