Cook County, Illinois, Lacked Adequate Controls over Its HOME Investment Partnerships Program Income and Administrative Costs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited Cook County's (County) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (Program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2007 annual audit plan. We selected the County based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to Program grantees in Region V's jurisdiction. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the County…
June 07, 2008
Report
#2008-CH-1009
The Municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Needs to Improve Procurement of Its Housing Rehabilitation Activities
We audited the Municipality of Carolina's (Municipality) Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) program. We selected the Municipality for review as part of our strategic plan. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Municipality complied with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations, procedures, and instructions related to the administration of the Block Grant program.
The Municipality…
June 06, 2008
Report
#2008-AT-1008
Renton Housing Authority, Renton, Washington, Overpaid Rental Assistance And Did Not Have Sufficient Controls Over Rent Reasonableness
We audited Renton Housing Authority (Authority), Renton, Washington. The review was initiated due to a hotline complaint from a Housing Choice Voucher program recipient. The complainant stated that the contract rent was unreasonable because it exceeded the rent for comparable unassisted units on the premises. The audit objective was to determine whether the complaint was valid. We also wanted to determine whether the Authority had controls in…
June 03, 2008
Report
#2008-SE-1005
The Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Needs to Improve Controls over Its Section 8 Program
As part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) strategic plan, we audited the Municipality of Caguas (authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Our audit objectives were to determine whether Section 8 units met housing quality standards in accordance with HUD requirements and whether the authority properly determined housing assistance subsidies.
Of the 10 units…
May 30, 2008
Report
#2008-AT-1007
The County of Essex, Verona, New Jersey, Did Not Always Administer Its Community Block Grant Program in Accordance With HUD Requirements
We completed an audit of the County of Essex's (County) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which was administered by its Division of Housing and Community Development. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the County disbursed CDBG funds efficiently and effectively in accordance with its submission to HUD and applicable rules and regulations and had a financial management system in place to adequately safeguard the…
May 29, 2008
Report
#2008-NY-1007
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, San Buenaventura, California, Did Not Manage HUD Program Funds in Accordance with HUD Requirements
We audited the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (Authority) in response to a hotline complaint alleging mismanagement and misuse of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority's financial activities, operations, and controls complied with HUD requirements. We found that the Authority did not use program funds in accordance with the requirements of its…
May 28, 2008
Report
#2008-LA-1010
Maintenance of Effort Requirements Are Needed to Ensure Intended Use of CDBG Program Funds
As part of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) annual goals for internal audits, we reviewed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) policies prohibiting the use of funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to supplant general government funds. Congress stated in a 2006 House congressional report that CDBG funds were never meant "to be used to replace local general government funds on projects…
May 21, 2008
Report
#2008-BO-0002
The City of Troy, New York, Did Not Always Administer Its Community Development Block Grant Program in Accordance with HUD Requirements
We completed an audit of the operations of the City of Troy, New York (the City), pertaining to its administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The objective of our audit was to determine whether the City administered its CDBG program in an effective and efficient manner in compliance with applicable HUD rules and regulations.
The audit disclosed that the City generally complied with HUD program requirements when…
May 21, 2008
Report
#2008-NY-1006
Woonsocket Housing Authority, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Housing Choice Voucher Program and Public Housing Program Deficieincies Resulted in Cost Exceptions Totaling $904,494
We audited the Housing Choice Voucher (Voucher) and public housing programs at the Woonsocket Housing Authority (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 and public housing programs in compliance with its annual contributions contracts and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. In…
May 14, 2008
Report
#2008-BO-1006
HUD Lacked Adequate Controls over the Physical Condition of Section 8 Voucher Program Housing Stock
As part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) strategic plan, we audited HUD's controls over the physical condition of Section 8 housing stock for the Housing Choice Voucher program. Our objective was to determine whether HUD had adequate controls to ensure that its Section 8 housing stock was in material compliance with housing quality standards.
We found that HUD did…
May 14, 2008
Report
#2008-AT-0003
Mortgage Access Corporation, Morris Plains, New Jersey, Did Not Always Comply with HUD/FHA Loan Origination Requirements
We completed an audit of Mortgage Access Corporation, doing business as Weichert Financial Services, a nonsupervised lender located in Morris Plains, New Jersey. The audit objectives were to determine whether Mortgage Access Corporation (1) approved insured loans in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)/Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements, and (2) developed and implemented a quality control plan…
May 12, 2008
Report
#2008-NY-1005
Corrective Action Verification Opelika Housing Authority Public Housing Programs
HUD OIG performed a corrective action verification of audit recommendations cited in the audit report, Opelika Housing Authority, Public Housing Programs (2004-AT-1011) issued July 23, 2004. The purpose of the corrective action verification was to determine whether the selected audit recommendations were implemented and the deficiencies cited in the report were corrected. The Authority implemented the necessary corrective action for the…
May 12, 2008
Memorandum
#2008-AT-0802
The Shreveport Housing Authority, Shreveport, Louisiana, Made Excessive Housing Assistance Payments in Its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Shreveport, LA
As part of the Office of Inspector General's strategic plan, we audited the Shreveport Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8 program). Our objective was to determine whether the Authority ensured that it made housing assistance payments in accordance with the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 8 program requirements. The Authority's contracted…
May 08, 2008
Report
#2008-FW-1009
A Plus Mortgage Inc., Tukwila, WA, Overcharged Borrowers and Allowed Independent Contractors and Unapproved Branches to Originate Loans
We audited A Plus Mortgage, Inc. (A Plus), to determine whether (1) the fees charged to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers by A Plus were appropriate under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FHA, and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) regulations and (2) the loan officers originating FHA-insured loans were employees of A Plus.
A Plus disregarded HUD FHA requirements and provisions of RESPA and engaged…
May 07, 2008
Report
#2008-SE-1004
The Housing Authority of the City of Eloy, Arizona Did Not Have Adequate Internal Controls to Safeguard Assets and Ensure Compliance with HUD’s Requirements
We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Eloy (Authority) because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had rated the Authority as troubled for five years. In 2007, the Authority had significant financials problems and terminated its executive director. We determined that the Authority did not have adequate internal controls to safeguard assets and reasonably ensure that HUD funds were used in accordance with…
May 05, 2008
Report
#2008-LA-1009
The State of Maryland Did Not Always Administer Its HOME-Assisted Single-Family Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program in Accordance with Federal Regulations
We audited the State of Maryland's (State) HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) as part of our annual audit plan. We chose to audit the State's HOME-assisted single-family owner-occupied rehabilitation program based on deficiencies identified in a sample of work-write ups reviewed during a previous review of the State's HOME program. This audit is the second phase of our review of the State's HOME program. Our overall…
April 30, 2008
Report
#2008-PH-1008
Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority, Pablo, Montana, Did Not Properly Recognize and Account for Program Income from 1937 Act Housing Projects
We audited Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority (Authority) as part of our review of the Office of Native American Programs' guidance on calculating program income for the United States Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act) housing projects assisted by the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Authority calculated program income for NAHASDA-assisted…
April 28, 2008
Report
#2008-SE-1003
The State of Mississippi's Homeowners Assistance Program Contract Included Ineligible Provisions
We audited the State of Mississippi's Development Authority's (Authority) Homeowners Assistance Program (Program), implemented by Reznick Group and Reznick Mississippi, LLC (contractor). We initiated the audit in conjunction with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Gulf Coast Region's audit plan and examination of relief efforts provided by the federal government in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Our audit…
April 25, 2008
Report
#2008-AO-1003
The Miami Dade Housing Agency, Miami, Florida, Did Not Maintain Adequate Controls over Its Capital Fund Program
HUD-OIG audited the Miami Dade Housing Agency (Agency) capital fund program. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Agency had adequate controls to ensure that contracts were awarded in accordance with regulations and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements.
The Agency did not have adequate controls to ensure that contracts were awarded in accordance with regulations and HUD requirements. It did not…
April 24, 2008
Report
#2008-AT-0002
The Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency, Des Moines, Iowa, Did Not Always Assign Proper Voucher Sizes or Accurately Calculate Overpayments From Unreported Income In Its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Housing Choice Voucher program of the Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency (Agency) to determine whether the Agency (1) properly considered family composition and reasonable accommodation requests when applying payment standards and (2) took appropriate action when the tenants' files had indications of unreported income. We found that…
April 22, 2008
Report
#2008-KC-1003