We completed a corrective action verification of HUD’s actions in implementing portions of Audit Memorandum 98-AO-219-1804, issued September 24, 1998; Upfront Grant for Ridgecrest Heights Apartments, CEMI-Ridgecrest, Inc., Washington, DC. The specific objective of this corrective action verification review was to determine if HUD ensured the repayment of excess proceeds from the sale of townhomes located at Ridgecrest Heights Apartments. HUD...

We completed an evaluation of HUD’s management of its Workers’ Compensation Program (WCP).  Our primary objectives were to determine whether HUD’s contractor, Lifecare Management Partners (Lifecare) of Alexandria, VA, managed the program in accordance with its contract terms and identify opportunities to improve program policy and procedures.  We also wanted to determine the level of program noncompliance and potential fraud among HUD...

At the request of the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), we performed a limited review of a random sample of 112 March and April 2009 Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) payments for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita evacuees. The objective was to verify whether the authorized tenants lived in the residences in March and April 2009. Testing identified 20 instances of potentially ineligible payments totaling $9,478 and some...

We completed the twelfth report in our ongoing audits of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's (the auditee) administration of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Assistance funds provided to the State of New York in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. During our audit period, April 1 through September 30, 2008, the auditee disbursed approximately...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited HUD's management of human resources. We initiated the audit based on our annual audit plan and our strategic plan to help HUD resolve its major management challenges. Our objective was to determine whether HUD implemented a process and methodology to determine when to contract out for services or when to keep the services in house. Our...

We completed an audit of the City of Rome, New York's (City), administration of its economic development activity known as General Cable under its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The objectives of our audit were to determine whether the City (1) administered this economic development activity effectively, efficiently, and economically in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...

We audited the North Hempstead Housing Authority's (Authority) administration of its Housing Choice Voucher and Family Self-Sufficiency to determine whether the Authority administered these programs in compliance with HUD regulations. The Authority properly determined Section 8 tenant eligibility and accurately calculated rental subsidies. However, the Authority improperly selected both units and tenants for project-based voucher assistance...

In response to a request from Senator Charles Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Finance, we conducted an evaluation of Mortgagee Review Board (MRB/Board) enforcement actions as part of HUD's oversight of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgage lenders. Senator Grassley asked us to update a review of the MRB by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its 2004 report on FHA risk management. The evaluation...

We completed a review of Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) program's contract documents and other program related representations. Additionally, we reviewed certain business practices related to ensuring that mortgages were insured. We conducted the audit because of OIG senior management's concerns about potential internal control weaknesses in Ginnie Mae's MBS program. Our...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Administration's internal controls over the processing of personnel actions in response to an anonymous complaint received by our office. Our objectives were to determine why (1) human resource actions were not processed in a timely manner, (2) employee requests to waive the automatic collection of payroll overpayments were not processed before collection...

We audited the City of Yonkers, New York's (the City) administration of its Section 108 Loan Guarantee program to determine whether the City disbursed Section 108 loan guarantee program funds for eligible costs and adequately safeguarded funds and prevented misuse. The audit disclosed that the City disbursed program funds for eligible activities in accordance with HUD rules and regulations, and maintained a financial management system that...

We completed an audit of the City of Newburgh, New York's administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The objectives of our audit were to determine whether the City (1) administered its CDBG program effectively, efficiently, and economically in accordance with applicable rules and regulations, and (2) expended CDBG funds for eligible activities that met a national objective of the program. The audit disclosed...

We completed an audit of the City of Rochester's (City) asset control area (ACA) program as part of a nationwide audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) monitoring of ACA participants. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the City administered its ACA program in compliance with program requirements to increase homeownership for low and moderate income borrowers and contribute to the...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Native American Program’s (ONAP) rules regarding calculation of program income under the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). Our objectives were to determine whether ONAP’s guidance on calculating program income for the NAHASDA-assisted 1937 Act housing projects was consistent with the generally accepted accounting principles. We also...

We completed an audit of the City of Rome, New York's (City) administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The objectives of our audit were to determine whether the City (1) administered its CDBG program effectively, efficiently, and economically in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and (2) expended CDBG funds for eligible activities that met a national objective of the program. The audit disclosed...

We completed an audit of the City of New York's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (the City), New York, New York to evaluate its administration of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). The audit objectives were to determine whether the City (1) properly committed and disbursed HOME funds; (2) adequately monitored its community housing development organizations, projects, and contractors; and (3) correctly...

At the request of two United States Senators, we initiated an audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) administration of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (Authority). Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD's receiver provided adequate management oversight to ensure the Authority complied with HUD's requirements. Specifically, to determine whether HUD's receiver ensured that the...

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) processing of its Section 202 and Section 811 capital advances as a part of our annual audit plan. The audit objective was to determine whether HUD's program centers under the jurisdiction of its Region 3 (program centers) processed Section 202 and Section 811 capital advances in accordance with HUD requirements. Program centers did not always process Section 202...