On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act made available $5 billion in supplemental CDBG funding for grants to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (CDBG-CV grants).  Because of similarities, we reviewed 132 CDBG-DR program audits and evaluations issued from May 2002 to March 2020 to summarize the common CDBG-DR program weaknesses and risks for CPD to consider to help its CDBG…

While some of HUD’s efforts to improve its hiring and human capital functions and reduce its average time-to-hire have been successful, HUD’s hiring process overall was not efficient.  HUD’s Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), which is responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures associated with human capital management, set a goal to reduce the average time-to-hire but did not meet this goal. …

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fiscal year 2020 compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) and other Office of Management and Budget guidance.  PIIA was enacted to prevent and reduce improper payments and requires each agency’s inspector general to perform an annual review of the agency’s compliance with PIIA.  Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD complied…

HUD does not have a departmentwide policy for dealing with radon contamination.  Instead, HUD relies on each program office to develop radon policies that align with HUD’s environmental regulations.  The three program offices reviewed do not have consistent radon policies.  Only Multifamily’s radon policy includes radon testing and mitigation requirements.  PIH’s policy strongly encourages but does not require public housing…

In June 2020, we received letters from members of Congress, including the chairpersons of the House Committee on Financial Services and Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, expressing concern that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) imposed a new, nonpublic, and legally erroneous policy that prohibited issuing Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)…

The West Calumet Housing Complex (WCHC), located in East Chicago, IN, was a public housing development that opened in 1972 on top of a former lead smelting plant.  HUD and other agencies missed multiple opportunities to identify site contamination at WCHC.  As a result, WCHC residents continued living in unsafe conditions for decades, and inadequate oversight led to the lead poisoning of children in WCHC.  Between 2005 and 2015, a…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Evansville’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD) conversion based on the activities included in our 2018 annual audit plan and our analysis of the housing agencies participating in RAD in Region 5’s jurisdiction (States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin).  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority complied with the U.S. Department of…

We audited the Indianapolis Housing Agency’s Housing Choice Voucher program based on an anonymous complaint.  The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2018 audit plan.  Our objective was specific to the allegations in the complaint and was to determine whether the Agency wrote off accounts receivable, deleted adjustments to accounts payable and receivable, and made adjustments to accounts payable and receivable…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Hammond, IN’s Housing Choice Voucher program based on the activities included in our 2017 annual audit plan and our analysis of risk factors related to the public housing agencies in Region 5’s jurisdiction.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority correctly calculated housing assistance and utility allowances and appropriately managed its Family Self-Sufficiency program.…

We audited Baldwin Creek Apartments as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2016 annual audit plan.  We selected the project based on our analysis of risk factors related to multifamily projects in Region 5’s jurisdiction1.   Our objective was to determine whether the project’s owner and management agents operated the project in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) requirements and the…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Muncie’s Housing Choice Voucher program based on the activities included in our 2016 annual audit plan and our analysis of risk factors related to the public housing agencies in Region 5’s jurisdiction.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program in accordance with HUD’s and its own requirements. The Authority did not always administer its program in…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Anderson’s Housing Choice Voucher program based on the activities included in our 2016 annual audit plan and our analysis of risk factors related to the public housing agencies in Region 5’s jurisdiction.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program in accordance with HUD’s and its own requirements. The Authority did not always administer its program in…

We audited the State of Indiana’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program.  The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan.  We selected the State because it received the most program funds under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009 in Region 5’s1  jurisdiction.  Our objectives were to determine whether the State’s Office…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of South Bend, IN’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program based on our analysis of risk factors related to the public housing agencies in Region 5’s jurisdiction  and the activities included in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Authority (1) correctly calculated and paid housing assistance and utility allowances, (2) obtained and…

We audited First Source Bank, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) supervised lender located in South Bend, IN.  We selected First Source based on our analysis of risk factors of single-family loan servicers in Region 5’s jurisdiction4.   Our audit objectives were to determine whether First Source (1) consistently and appropriately applied loss mitigation options for eligible borrowers, (2) accurately reported the default and…

We audited the Goshen Housing Authority’s Section 8 program as part of the activities in our fiscal year 2014 annual audit plan.  We selected the Authority based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Indianapolis Office of Public and Indian Housing.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its program in accordance with HUD’s and its own requirements.  The…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General audited the Hammond Housing Authority’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Public Housing Capital Fund Stimulus formula and competitive grants. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2012 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon our analysis of risk factors related to the housing agencies in Region V’s jurisdiction. Our…

We audited the State of Indiana’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2011 annual audit plan. We selected the State based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to Program grantees in Region V’s (see footnote 1) jurisdiction. Our objectives were to determine whether the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the administrator of the State’s Program, complied with the…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Housing Authority of the City of South Bend, IN’s (Authority) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) Public Housing Capital Fund Stimulus Formula grant. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority obligated, disbursed, and expended funds in accordance with Recovery Act and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…

We audited the State of Indiana’s (State) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (Program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2010 annual audit plan. We selected the State based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to Program grantees in Region V’s jurisdiction. Our objectives were to determine whether the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (Authority), the administrator of the State’s Program,…