The Boston Housing Authority Did Not Always Comply With HUD’s Requirements for Its Housing Choice Voucher Program Units
We audited the Boston Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. We initiated this audit based upon our assessment of risks associated with public housing agencies' HCV Program units, as well as recent media attention and public concern about the conditions of subsidized housing properties. Our objective was to determine whether the physical conditions of the Authority’s HCV units complied with both the U.S. Department…
August 23, 2024
Report
#2024-CH-1004
The Housing Authority of the City of Springfield, MA, Did Not Always Comply With Procurement and Contract Administration Requirements
We audited the Springfield Housing Authority’s Public Housing Operating Fund and Capital Fund programs because the Authority ranked fifth highest on our risk assessment of Massachusetts public housing agencies and is the third largest in the State. In addition, we had not audited the Authority in more than 10 years. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority complied with procurement and contract administration…
March 19, 2020
Report
#2020-BO-1002
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Did Not Always Ensure That Its Grantees Complied With Applicable State and Federal Laws and Requirements
We audited the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ (State) Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program because the State was the largest recipient of CDBG funds in New England. HUD awarded the State more than $88 million in CDBG funding for program years 2015, 2016, and 2017. In addition, we had not audited any of the State’s community planning and development programs in the last 10 years. Our audit objective was…
August 05, 2019
Report
#2019-BO-1003
Final Civil Action: First American Mortgage Trust Settled Allegations of Failing To Comply With HUD’s Federal Housing Administration Loan Requirements
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts in the civil investigation of First American Mortgage Trust. First American has its principal place of business in Brighton, MA, and does business as NXTLoan.Com Corp., a Delaware corporation. First American is the parent company of NXTL.
On October 18, 2016, First…
September 18, 2017
Memorandum
#2017-CF-1805
The Boston Housing Authority, Boston, MA, Housed Eligible Tenants and Correctly Calculated Voucher Subsidies
We audited the Housing Choice Voucher program at the Boston Housing Authority because of the size of the program, the time that had elapsed since our last audit, and the inherent program risk. The Authority operates the second largest Housing Choice Voucher program in New England. In addition, our office had not audited any Authority program since 2010. The Housing Choice Voucher program is inherently risky as Congress…
April 05, 2017
Report
#2017-BO-1004
The City of Springfield, MA, Needs To Improve Its Compliance With Federal Regulations for Its Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Assistance Grant
We audited the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) assistance grant provided to the City of Springfield, MA, by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist in disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts resulting from damages caused by presidentially declared disasters. The audit objective was to determine whether the City properly followed Federal procurement requirements and whether…
October 17, 2016
Report
#2017-BO-1002
Sons of Divine Providence Did Not Ensure That the Don Orione Home, East Boston, MA, Operated in Accordance With Its Regulatory Agreement
Sons of Divine Providence did not properly oversee the HUD-insured nursing home to ensure that it operated in accordance with its regulatory agreement. By not informing HUD of the lawsuits, the changes in management agents, and the loans, Sons of Divine Providence did not provide HUD the necessary data to understand the risk to the HUD insurance fund. However, when Sons of Divine Providence sold the nursing home and paid off the HUD…
October 13, 2016
Memorandum
#2017-BO-1801
The Somerville Housing Authority, Somerville, MA, Did Not Always Support Its Allocation of Costs to Asset Management Projects
We audited the Somerville Housing Authority’s public housing and Public Housing Capital Fund programs as part of our fiscal year 2016 regional audit plan. We initiated our review because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Boston Office of Public and Indian Housing had not monitored the programs in the past 5 years and we had not audited the Authority in the past 10 years. Our audit objectives were to…
August 12, 2016
Report
#2016-BO-1004
Iron Mountain Settled Allegations of Making False Disclosures and False Statements Regarding Discounts and Prices Relevant to Contracts It Had With HUD
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California in the civil investigation of Iron Mountain, Incorporated, and Iron Mountain Information Management, LLC (Iron Mountain). Iron Mountain is headquartered in Boston, MA. The investigation began due to a qui tam[1] filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern…
September 29, 2015
Memorandum
#2015-CF-1809
The Cambridge Housing Authority Appropriately Handled Exception Payments
We conducted a limited review of the Cambridge Housing Authority’s Moving to Work Housing Choice Voucher Program’s use of exception payment standards. This program allows public housing authorities to use exception payment standards to set rental payments in excess of the payment standard established for an authority’s rents . The review was initiated as a result of a concern raised by a member of Congress about whether public…
September 16, 2015
Memorandum
#2015-BO-1801
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian Did Not Adequately Maintain Its FHA-Insured Rental Apartments
We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Meridian’s Queen City apartments at the request of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Single Family Office of Asset Management. Our objectives were to determine whether the Authority acquired, financed, and managed the purchase of the apartments in accordance with applicable regulations and determine the cause of the Queen City apartments’ Federal Housing…
August 25, 2014
Report
#2014-AT-1009
Chelsea, MA, Housing Authority Review of Cost Allocation and Reasonableness of Salaries
We audited the Chelsea, MA, Housing Authority based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Boston Office of Public and Indian Housing, which was concerned about financial controls at the Authority. Our audit objectives were to determine whether Authority officials properly implemented financial controls over the allocation of costs, and reasonableness of salaries.
Authority officials did not design…
April 30, 2014
Report
#2014-BO-1002
The Boston Office of Public Housing Did Not Provide Adequate Oversight of Environmental Reviews of Three Housing Agencies, Including Reviews Involving Recovery Act Funds
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Boston Office of Public Housing as part of a nationwide audit of HUD’s oversight of environmental reviews. We selected the Boston Office based on our risk assessment. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Boston Office’s oversight of public housing environmental reviews within its jurisdiction ensured that (1) the responsible entities performed the…
February 06, 2014
Report
#2014-FW-0001
The Housing Authority of the City of Lowell, MA, Did Not Always Operate Its Public Housing and Recovery Act Capital Fund Programs in Compliance With HUD Regulations and Its Own Policies
We completed a review of the Lowell Housing Authority’s Public Housing and Recovery Act Capital Fund programs, including its force account activities. We selected this auditee based on a news articles identifying concerns with the Authority’s use of force account labor. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Authority (1) administered its force account modernization program in accordance with U.S. Department of…
September 04, 2013
Report
#2013-BO-1003
The City of Worcester, MA, Did Not Properly Administer Its Community Development Block Grant Program
We audited the City of Worcester’s administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. We selected the City for review based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Boston, MA, Office of Community Planning and Development. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the City established adequate controls to ensure that the CDBG activities were eligible and supported…
July 29, 2013
Report
#2013-BO-1002
The Lawrence Housing Authority, Lawrence, MA, Did Not Obtain HUD Approval to Fund a Trust Account and Had Weaknesses in Its Controls
We completed an audit of the Lawrence Housing Authority, Lawrence, MA, (Authority) pertaining to its administration of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs. The objective of this audit was to determine whether the Authority had acceptable management and financial practices to efficiently and effectively administer the use of Section 8 and public housing program funds in compliance with its annual contributions…
July 31, 2012
Report
#2012-BO-1004
The Medford Housing Authority, Medford, MA, Needs To Improve Rent
We audited the Housing Choice Voucher and Federal public housing programs at the Medford Housing Authority due to a complaint received by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Our overall audit objective was to determine whether the Authority had acceptable management practices to efficiently and effectively administer its housing programs while providing decent, safe, and sanitary housing in compliance HUD requirements and…
March 21, 2012
Report
#2012-BO-1003
Fall River Housing Authority, Fall River, MA, Did Not Always Administer Its Housing Choice Voucher Program in Accordance with HUD Regulations and Its Annual Contributions Contracts
We audited the Housing Choice Voucher program at the Fall River Housing Authority as part of our annual audit plan. The overall objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority efficiently and effectively administered its Voucher program in compliance with its annual contributions contracts and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. Our specific subobjectives were to determine whether (1) the Authority…
September 09, 2011
Report
#2011-BO-1011
City of Brockton, MA, Did Not Implement an Adequate Cost Allocation Plan for Administrative Expenses and Paid Unreasonable Costs for Its Fiscal Year 2010 Community Development Block Grant Audit
We reviewed the administration expenses charged to the City of Brockton’s Community Development Block Grant in response to a complaint alleging that the City was charging the Community Development Block Grant program for City expenses. The objectives of our review were to determine whether the City (1) properly accounted for and reported its planning and administrative expenses for its Community Development Block Grant and (2) prepared accurate…
September 07, 2011
Report
#2011-BO-1010
Weymouth Housing Authority, Weymouth, MA, Did Not Always Administer Its Housing Choice Voucher Program and Public Housing Program in Accordance With HUD Regulations and Its Annual Contributions Contracts
We audited the Housing Choice Voucher program and Federal public housing programs at the Weymouth Housing Authority as part of our annual audit plan. The overall objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority had acceptable management practices to efficiently and effectively administer its Housing Choice Voucher program while providing decent, safe, and sanitary housing in compliance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…
August 29, 2011
Report
#2011-BO-1009