We completed a corrective action verification of HUD’s actions in implementing portions of Audit Memorandum 98-AO-219-1804, issued September 24, 1998; Upfront Grant for Ridgecrest Heights Apartments, CEMI-Ridgecrest, Inc., Washington, DC. The specific objective of this corrective action verification review was to determine if HUD ensured the repayment of excess proceeds from the sale of townhomes located at Ridgecrest Heights Apartments. HUD…

We completed an evaluation of HUD’s management of its Workers’ Compensation Program (WCP).  Our primary objectives were to determine whether HUD’s contractor, Lifecare Management Partners (Lifecare) of Alexandria, VA, managed the program in accordance with its contract terms and identify opportunities to improve program policy and procedures.  We also wanted to determine the level of program noncompliance and potential fraud among HUD…

At the request of the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), we performed a limited review of a random sample of 112 March and April 2009 Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) payments for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita evacuees. The objective was to verify whether the authorized tenants lived in the residences in March and April 2009. Testing identified 20 instances of potentially ineligible payments totaling $9,478 and some…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited HUD's management of human resources. We initiated the audit based on our annual audit plan and our strategic plan to help HUD resolve its major management challenges. Our objective was to determine whether HUD implemented a process and methodology to determine when to contract out for services or when to keep the services in house. Our audit did not…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2008 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing agencies in Region V's jurisdiction. Our objective was to determine…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the City of East Cleveland's (City) use of HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) program funds. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2008 annual audit plan. We selected the City based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to HOME grantees in Region V's jurisdiction and a…

In response to a request from Senator Charles Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Finance, we conducted an evaluation of Mortgagee Review Board (MRB/Board) enforcement actions as part of HUD's oversight of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgage lenders. Senator Grassley asked us to update a review of the MRB by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its 2004 report on FHA risk management. The evaluation…

We completed a review of Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) program's contract documents and other program related representations. Additionally, we reviewed certain business practices related to ensuring that mortgages were insured. We conducted the audit because of OIG senior management's concerns about potential internal control weaknesses in Ginnie Mae's MBS program. Our objectives were to…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Administration's internal controls over the processing of personnel actions in response to an anonymous complaint received by our office. Our objectives were to determine why (1) human resource actions were not processed in a timely manner, (2) employee requests to waive the automatic collection of payroll overpayments were not processed before collection actions…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Native American Program’s (ONAP) rules regarding calculation of program income under the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). Our objectives were to determine whether ONAP’s guidance on calculating program income for the NAHASDA-assisted 1937 Act housing projects was consistent with the generally accepted accounting principles. We also…