Develop and implement controls to ensure that program funds are used for eligible activities only.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that the $252,000 paid to the Long Branch Housing Authority was for eligible, reasonable, necessary, and allocable costs or reimburse its Operating and Capital Fund programs from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support or that is not considered reasonable.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing require the Authority to update its policies and procedures to ensure that any additional payments made under interagency agreements are adequately supported before payment is made and that the services are provided in accordance with applicable requirements. These requirements include but are not limited to HUD, Federal, and Authority requirements related to procurement,…

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that the $161,600 paid for legal, fee accounting, and auditing services was for prices that were reasonable and that the costs were properly allocated among the Authority’s programs or reimburse its Operating and Capital Fund programs from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support or is not considered…

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that $172,538 paid for goods and services was reasonable or reimburse its Operating and Capital Fund programs from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support or that is not considered reasonable.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that $36,508 disbursed1 was for authorized and approved costs or reimburse its Operating and Capital Fund programs from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark Office of Public Housing provide technical assistance to the Authority to help ensure that 1) future interagency agreements, including the renewal of its agreement with Long Branch clearly outline the expectations and documentation required to show that work was performed, (2) its board provides adequate oversight of work performed under interagency agreements, and 3) it complies with HUD, Federal…

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that the $583,920 paid to two vendors for purchase orders below the Authority’s micropurchase limit was for prices that were reasonable or reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support or is not considered reasonable.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to show that $842,931 paid under five contracts was for prices that were reasonable or reimburse its Operating Fund for any amount that it cannot support or is not considered reasonable.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to strengthen its controls over purchases to ensure compliance with HUD, Federal, and Authority procurement requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, controls to ensure that it (1) maintains records sufficient to detail the significant history of procurements, (2) complies with requirements for each type of procurement, (3) obtains…

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide training to its staff to ensure compliance with HUD and Federal procurement requirements.

We also recommend that the Director of HUD’s Departmental Enforcement Center evaluate the apparent conflict-of-interest situations in this report and pursue administrative sanctions if warranted.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to justify the $372,695 in unsupported Operating Fund subsidies received or reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount it cannot support.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide documentation to justify $8,564 in excessive property management fees charged by the COCC or reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds for any amount it cannot support.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to reimburse its Operating Fund from non-Federal funds $82,907 for 16 document management services contract payments that should have been paid with COCC funds.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to strengthen its controls to ensure that operating funds are requested, received, and used in accordance with HUD, Federal, and Authority requirements.

We recommend that the Acting Director of HUD’s Buffalo Office of Public Housing require the Authority to provide training to employees involved in the funding and expenditure processes to ensure compliance with HUD, Federal, and Authority requirements

Follow up on the 15 properties in our sample to ensure that the code enforcement violations have been corrected, that the necessary documentation has been gathered and retained in the code enforcement file for the property, and that the code enforcement process has been completed.

Provide documentation to support $671,838 in code enforcement costs or repay the program from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support.

Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that its Block Grant-funded code enforcement activities comply with HUD requirements, including documentation requirements, thereby ensuring that funds totaling $301,866 can be put to better use.