We audited the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority’s management of lead‐based paint in its public housing program based on our assessment of the risks of lead‐based paint in public housing.  The risk factors assessed included the age of buildings, the number of units, household demographics, and reported cases of childhood lead poisoning.  Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Authority (1) complied with HUD’s…

We audited the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program.  The audit was initiated based on our assessment of risks associated with public housing agencies’ HCV Program units and recent media attention and public concern about the conditions of subsidized housing properties.  Our objective was to determine whether the physical condition of the Authority’s HCV Program units complied with the U.S.…

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…

We audited the State of Florida’s Housing Repair and Replacement Program (HRRP), one of the programs that the State developed to address its unmet disaster recovery housing needs because of Hurricane Irma in 2017.  We audited this program due to the large amount of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding allocated of $346.2 million.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the State administered its…

We audited the City of Houston’s Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.  We initiated this audit as part of our commitment to helping the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) address its top management challenges and to support HUD’s strategic objective to support effectiveness and accountability in long-term disaster recovery.  Further, Congress has expressed strong…

Based on a complaint and a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (HUD PIH), we audited the Bay City Housing Authority, Bay City, TX.  The complainant’s allegations included improper procurement of an attorney and board meetings held without proper notice.  HUD PIH expressed concerns regarding the Authority’s financial records and policy adherence.  Our audit…

We audited the City of Houston’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) 2015 program.  Under this program, the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2016 and 2017 made funds available for necessary expenses related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization.  We audited this program based upon the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,…

We audited the Harris County Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. We initiated this audit as part of our commitment to helping the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) address its top management challenges and to support HUD’s strategic objective to support effectiveness and accountability in long-term disaster recovery. Further, Congress has expressed strong interest in HUD’s…

We audited the Palm Beach County Housing Authority in West Palm Beach, FL, based on concerns raised by news articles stating that the Authority dismissed its former executive director because of financial misconduct and ethical violations.  The concerns included bonuses paid and payments for contracted services.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority spent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)…

We audited the Texas General Land Office’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant that it used to rehabilitate or reconstruct 125 homes affected by Hurricane Ike in 2008.  Texas General Land Office contracted with the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, in Jasper, TX, to operate its program.  We reviewed Texas General Land Office and its subrecipient as part of our annual audit plan to review CDBG-DR…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Washington, DC, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Kansas and the Northern District of Texas in the civil investigation of PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital company.  The investigation was of PrimeLending’s origination, underwriting, and quality control of Federal Housing Administration (…

We audited PK Management, LLC, based on (1) media coverage of problems associated with Essex Village, an apartment complex in Virginia that it managed, and (2) issues identified in our prior audit of PK Management in Birmingham, AL.  Our audit objective was to determine whether PK Management assisted eligible tenants and maintained documentation to support the housing assistance payments it received for residents of the properties it…

We audited the city of Dallas’ management of its community housing development organizations (CHDO).  We performed this audit because of our previous audit work on the City’s Home Investment Partnerships program.  During that audit, we concluded that the City did not follow HOME regulations and its own policies and procedures in its reconstruction program or the administration of its match contributions, resulting in more than $4.2…

We audited the multifamily Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program at the Northline Point Apartments.  We selected Northline Point in accordance with our goal to review the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) multifamily housing programs and because of a request from HUD to audit the property based on extensive findings from its project-based contract administrator’s management and occupancy review.…

We audited the Weslaco Housing Authority, Weslaco, TX, based on a referral to our office concerning issues with the Authority’s process for awarding its 2014 legal services contract.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority procured its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program- and operating subsidy-funded legal services contract in accordance with Federal, State, and Authority…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited Bank of America because it has released more than 47,000 Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans into the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program (DASP) note sales program.  Since its inception, DASP has facilitated the sale of more than 108,000 FHA loans, which means that Bank of America accounts for nearly half of the entire program…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington in the civil investigation of Universal American Mortgage Company, LLC.  Our investigation was ongoing when a qui tam action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.  Universal…

We audited the Civic Towers, LLLP, and Civic Towers Senior, LLLP, Section 8 project-based housing assistance payment (HAP) program.  We selected the Civic Towers and Civic Towers Senior Section 8 project-based properties for review based on a referral from our Office of Investigation regarding a potential duplication of benefits between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (…

We audited Rainbow Terrace Apartments based on our analysis of risk factors related to multifamily projects in Region 5’s jurisdiction and the activities included in our fiscal year 2018 annual audit plan.  Our objective was to determine whether the project’s owner and management agent operated the project in accordance with the regulatory agreement and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) requirements. The project…

We audited Hamilton County’s subrecipient agreement with People Working Cooperatively, Inc. (corporation), for a Community Development Block Grant-funded housing repair services program based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Columbus Office of Community Planning and Development concerning information the Office received regarding the program, which it did not have the resources to review.  The…