The Allegheny County Housing Authority, Pittsburgh, PA, Did Not Always Procure Goods and Services or Obligate Funds According to Recovery Act and Applicable HUD Requirements
We audited the Allegheny County Housing Authority’s administration of its Public Housing Capital Fund grants that it received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. We selected the Authority for audit because it received a $7.7 million formula grant and three competitive grants totaling $5.8 million, which was the third largest formula grant and the second largest amount of capital fund competitive grants awarded in…
August 10, 2011
Report
#2011-PH-1014
The City of Reading, PA, Generally Complied With Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 Requirements
We audited the City of Reading, PA’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 as part of our annual audit plan to review activities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) because the City received $5 million in Program funds under the Recovery Act. Our audit objective was to determine whether the City (1) met Program expenditure deadlines, (2) made Program expenditures that were eligible and adequately supported…
June 30, 2011
Report
#2011-PH-1012
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Fort Mill, SC, Did Not Always Approve FHA-HAMP Loans or Trial Plans in Accordance With Rules and Regulations
We performed a limited review of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (Wells Fargo) as a result of our internal audit of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). During the audit, we visited Wells Fargo and reviewed a limited number of loans to determine whether the National Servicing Center implemented and operated FHA-HAMP in accordance with rules and regulations. Our objective for this limited review was…
June 07, 2011
Report
#2011-FW-1010
The Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia, PA, Failed To Support Payments and Improperly Used Funds From the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) use of its Public Housing Capital Fund formula grant that it received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). We selected the Authority for audit based on a citizen’s complaint alleging misuse of these funds and because it received $126.5 million in Recovery Act capital funds. We focused strictly on $31.5 million of the funds that the Authority…
May 17, 2011
Report
#2011-PH-1010
The Philadelphia, PA, Housing Authority Did Not Comply With Several Significant HUD Requirements and Failed To Support Payments for Outside Legal Services
We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) payments for outside legal services based on a citizen’s complaint alleging misuse of these funds, our observations and concerns regarding the Authority’s use of outside attorneys on prior audits, and concerns over the large sums the Authority paid for outside legal services reported in the media. The Authority paid $30.5 million for outside legal services provided by 15 law firms…
March 09, 2011
Report
#2011-PH-1007
The City of Pittsburgh, PA, Can Improve Its Administration of Its Community Development Block Grant Recovery Act Funds
We audited the City of Pittsburgh’s (City) administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds that it received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). We selected the City for audit because it received a $4.5 million grant, which was the third largest CDBG Recovery Act grant awarded in the State of Pennsylvania and it had disbursed more than half of the grant funds as of July 12, 2010. Our…
January 30, 2011
Report
#2011-PH-1006
The City of Scranton, PA, Did Not Administer Its Community Development Block Grant Program in Accordance With HUD Requirements
We audited the City of Scranton, PA’s (City) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. We selected the City for audit because of the size of its program, its high U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) risk analysis score, and a citizen’s complaint alleging misuse of HUD funds. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the City (1) maintained records and documentation to identify the source and application…
November 07, 2010
Report
#2011-PH-1002
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Harrisburg, PA, Generally Administered Its Tax Credit Assistance program Funded Under the Recovery Act in Accordance With Applicable Requirements
We audited the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (Agency) because it received $95.1 million in Tax Credit Assistance Program (Program) funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The Agency received the largest amount of Program funds awarded in Region III. Our objective was to determine whether the Agency administered its Program in accordance with Recovery Act and applicable U.S. Department of Housing and…
November 07, 2010
Report
#2011-PH-1003
The Harrisburg, PA, Housing Authority Did Not Procure Goods and Services in Accordance With HUD Regulations and Its Procurement Policy
We audited the Harrisburg Housing Authority’s (Authority) procurement function. We audited the Authority because a previous audit conducted in 2007 indicated that there was weakness in its purchasing process. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority procured goods and services in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations and other applicable requirements. We found that the Authority did not…
July 27, 2010
Report
#2010-PH-1012
The Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia, PA, Did Not Ensure That Its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Units Met Housing Quality Standards
We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) administration of its housing quality standards inspection program for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program as part of our fiscal year 2010 audit plan. The audit objective addressed in this report was to determine whether the Authority ensured that its program units met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) housing quality standards. The Authority did…
July 08, 2010
Report
#2010-PH-1011
The Harrisburg, PA, Housing Authority Generally Administered Its Recovery Act Capital Fund Grant in Accordance With Applicable Requirements
We audited the Harrisburg Housing Authority’s (Authority) administration of its Public Housing Capital Fund grant that it received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). We selected the Authority for audit because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the Authority a $4.4 million formula grant. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered the grant funds…
May 13, 2010
Report
#2010-PH-1009
Audit of the Housing Authority of the City of Pottsville, PA's Recovery Act Capital Fund Grant
We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Pottsville, PA’s (Authority) capital fund grant that it received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). On March 18, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the Authority a $992,895 grant under the Recovery Act for its public housing capital fund program. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its…
April 13, 2010
Report
#2010-PH-1006
Audit of the Scranton Housing Authority
We audited the Scranton Housing Authority (Authority) based on a referral from our Office of Investigation. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority followed applicable procurement regulations and used U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds properly. The Authority did not purchase goods, services and property in accordance with applicable HUD requirements, the terms of its annual consolidated contributions…
December 16, 2009
Memorandum
#2010-PH-1801
The Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Needs to Improve Its Controls over Housing Assistance Payments
We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) administration of its housing assistance payments for leased housing under its Moving to Work Demonstration program as part of our fiscal year 2009 audit plan. This is the first of two audit reports that we plan to issue on the Authority’s leased housing program. The audit objective addressed in this report was to determine whether the Authority maintained adequate documentation to…
October 06, 2009
Report
#2010-PH-1002
The City of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Made Unsupported Community Development Block Grant Payments
We audited the City of Altoona, Pennsylvania’s (City), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program based on a citizen complaint. Our audit objective was to determine if the City properly paid a subrecipient for eligible CDBG activities. We found that the City paid a subrecipient $914,335 for CDBG activities that it could not demonstrate were eligible. The City could not demonstrate that it paid a subreicipient for eligible activities that…
October 02, 2009
Report
#2010-PH-1001
The City of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Needs to Strengthen Its Capacity and Controls to Adequately Administer American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Funding
We audited the City of Altoona, Pennsylvania’s (City) capacity to administer funds it receives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The City will receive $1.3 million in Recovery Act funds to carry out Community Development Block Grant and Homelessness Prevention Rapid Re-Housing activities. Our objective was to determine whether the City had adequate capacity and controls to adequately administer its Recovery…
September 23, 2009
Memorandum
#2009-PH-1802
The City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Had the Capacity to Effectively Administer Community Planning and Development Funds Provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
We audited the City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s (City) community planning and development program. On March 6, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the City $1.1 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) for its community planning and development program. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget directed the Inspectors General to perform audits to ensure that funds…
August 28, 2009
Memorandum
#2009-PH-1801
The Housing Authority of the City of York, Pennsylvania, Did Not Ensure That Its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Units Met Housing Quality Standards
We audited the Housing Authority of the City of York’s (Authority) administration of its housing quality standards inspection program for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program as part of our fiscal year 2009 audit plan. The audit objective was to determine whether the Authority ensured that its program units met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) housing quality standards. The Authority did not ensure that its…
August 12, 2009
Report
#2009-PH-1012
The City of Reading, Pennsylvania, Generally Administered Its Asset Control Area Program in Compliance with HUD Requirements
We audited the City of Reading's (City) asset control area program as part of a nationwide audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) monitoring of program participants. Our objective was to determine whether the City administered its asset control area program in compliance with HUD requirements. We focused our review on whether the City complied with specific requirements in its asset control area agreement…
May 29, 2009
Report
#2009-PH-1008
GMAC Mortgage
We reviewed lenders in the State of Connecticut that had Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans with secondary financing from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority as part of our annual audit plan. The objective was to determine whether the lenders inappropriately gave borrowers using secondary financing from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority cash back at closing in excess of their total cash deposit and other closing costs paid…
April 30, 2009
Report
#2009-BO-1007