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…

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 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…

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…

We audited the multifamily Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program at the Louis Manor Apartments.  We selected Louis Manor in accordance with our goal to review the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) multifamily housing programs and because our analysis of Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System data showed red flag indicators at Louis Manor that appeared to be similar to the conditions we found…

In violation of the housing assistance payment contract’s conflict-of-interest requirements, the former executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Beeville, TX, executed housing assistance payment contracts on behalf of the Authority with her brother and sister.  The former executive director did not fully disclose the conflicts-of-interest and had not sought a waiver from HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing until the…

We audited the Eastwood Terrace Apartments multifamily Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program.  We selected Eastwood Terrace in accordance with the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) goal to review HUD’s multifamily housing programs and because the OIG Office of Investigation conducted an investigation and suggested that the complex might not have had appropriate controls to ensure tenant eligibility.  Our objective…

We audited the City of Dallas’ HOME Investment Partnerships program, specifically, its reconstruction program.  A City auditor’s report, multiple news articles, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) monitoring reviews identified issues with the City’s Federal funds and record keeping.  Our audit objective was to determine whether the City followed HOME regulations and its own policies and procedures when it…

We reviewed the Texas General Land Office in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General’s (HUD OIG) goal to review disaster funding and based on a congressional request for HUD OIG to conduct capacity reviews for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria grantees.  Our audit objectives were to determine whether the State of Texas had the capacity to follow Federal procurement regulations when…

We audited the multifamily Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA) program at the Villa Main Apartments.  We selected Villa Main in accordance with the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) goal to review the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) multifamily housing programs and because the OIG Office of Investigation conducted an investigation and suggested that the complex might not have had appropriate controls…

We audited JPMorgan Chase’s (Chase) Federal Housing Administration Home Affordable Modification Program (FHA-HAMP) stand-alone partial claims.  We selected Chase for review based on our analysis of risk factors of loan servicers that filed FHA-HAMP stand-alone partial claims and in accordance with our annual audit plan.  Our audit objective was to determine whether Chase complied with the FHA-HAMP stand-alone partial claim market rate…

We audited the Fort Bend County Community Development Department based on our risk analysis and as part of our annual audit plan to review Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) funds.  The audit objective was to determine whether the Department (1) properly carried out its activities as shown in its submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in an economical, efficient, and effective manner; (2)…

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 Office for the Middle District of Florida in a civil investigation of Financial Freedom Acquisition, a division of CIT Bank, N.A.  Financial Freedom was originally owned by IndyMac Bank until its failure in 2008, when the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation…

We audited the multifamily project-based Section 8 program at the Beverly Place Apartments.  We selected Beverly Place because we received a complaint of potential fraud, suggesting that the complex did not have appropriate controls to ensure tenant and unit eligibility.  Our objective was to determine whether the owner administered its project-based Section 8 program in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development…