Implement a system to track field office inspection review activities and create a repository for the support documentation collected to verify the correction of life-threatening deficiencies. Corrective Action Taken HUD’s Office of Field Operations (OFO) had created a quality assurance tracker as well as a life-threatening deficiency tracker, which contained data specific to the inspections selected by OFO HQs, for quality assurance…

We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for REAC determine whether PHAs are required to perform annual inspections on 100 percent of their public housing units annually and issue clarifying guidance to all PHAs.

If REAC determines that 100 percent annual self-inspections are required, establish specific guidance to address the number of units and frequency of PHA self-inspections. If not required, REAC should evaluate whether HUD’s rationale for inspecting a statistical sample rather than 100 percent of public housing units remains appropriate.

Develop and implement a nationwide protocol for field offices, describing how PHA self-inspections should be reviewed, based on REAC's determination of the number and frequency of PHA self-inspections. Status The Office of Field Operations will develop and implement a nationwide protocol for field offices, describing how Public Housing Agency (PHA) self inspections should be reviewed, based on Real Estate Assessment Center’s…

Require lenders to execute indemnification agreements covering a period of at least 5 years for each of the 20 loans for which the lenders did not comply with the temporary endorsement policy and related instructions, including loans for which the lenders did not execute an agreement when required or that were otherwise ineligible for insurance, and properly store the agreements and record the agreement data to put up to $1,811,238 to better…

Obtain guidance from the Office of General Counsel regarding the implications of allowing lenders to retroactively apply forbearance in cases in which the borrower requests forbearance after the lender submits the loan for endorsement to ensure that it consistently handles such cases.

Request and analyze data from lenders for the 3,024 loans at risk of noncompliance to identify loans that should have been subject to the temporary endorsement policy or were otherwise ineligible for insurance. The data requested should include but not be limited to the dates when the borrower requested forbearance, the loan became subject to forbearance, and the loan was submitted for endorsement.

For any of the 3,024 loans found to be subject to the temporary policy or otherwise ineligible for insurance, require the lenders to execute indemnification agreements covering a period of at least 5 years or reimburse HUD for any claims to put up to $26,840,071 to better use by protecting HUD against potential losses. For any indemnification agreements executed, HUD should properly store the agreements and record the agreement data.

Update data in HUD’s system for the three cases in which the lender incorrectly reported the loans as in COVID-19 forbearance at the time of endorsement to ensure that accurate data are maintained.

Consider implementing a policy to review any of the 292 loans not reviewed as part of this audit that result in a request for claim to ensure that the loans qualified for endorsement under the temporary endorsement policy so that HUD can avoid unnecessary payments for loans that should not have been endorsed.

Record indemnification agreement data in its system for the 34 loans for which the lender properly executed an indemnification agreement before endorsement and HUD had not recorded the agreement in its system to put up to $3,493,636 to better use by avoiding potential losses.

Review and correct indemnification agreement data in HUD’s computer systems as needed for all agreements currently classified as having 2-year terms and all agreements related to 2-year agreements contained on its SharePoint site to ensure that its systems contain accurate data for monitoring and enforcement of agreements. This recommendation includes but is not limited to reviewing the agreement number, agreement term, billing lender,…

Update indemnification agreements or obtain updated indemnification agreements for the 30 loans for which the indemnification agreements had incorrect or missing information or were not signed by HUD and upload them to its SharePoint site so that such agreements are properly executed and can be traced to HUD’s computer systems for future use.

Consider evaluating whether and how a similar policy for disasters or emergencies or a permanent version of the policy could be used to manage risk to the insurance fund while increasing lender participation. This should include further studying lenders’ use of the policy and the long-term performance of loans endorsed under it. It could also include reviewing the compliance, guidance, and process issues identified during this audit and…

Establish an improper payment council within HUD that consists of senior accountable officials from across the Department with a role in the effort that would work to identify risks and challenges to compliance and identify solutions as a collaborative group.

Develop and complete a detailed plan and timeline for completing compliant PIH-TBRA and PBRA program estimates and ensure that the improper payment council prioritizes completion of the plan in time for fiscal year 2023 reporting.

Develop a secure platform for the collection and storage of PIIA data that contain PII and formally assign a staff with adequate training and skillsets to administer the data and application (including maintaining and managing access controls of a chosen application that will be used to store the PIIA data with PII).

Reevaluate the methodology and reassess the weight assigned to each risk factor to ensure that appropriate weight is given to risks associated with non-Federal administrators or consider doing one risk assessment for HUD’s internal payment cycle and another risk assessment for the non-Federal entities that administer HUD’s program funds.

Until program-specific fraud risk assessments are completed, revise the PIIA fraud risk questionnaire process to compensate for the lack of program-specific fraud risk assessments.

Reassess the Homeless Assistance Grants program as part of the fiscal year 2023 risk assessment.