We reviewed the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency’s (Agency) Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2). We selected the Agency for review because it received, in a consortium established with The Housing Fund, Urban Housing Solutions, and Woodbine Community Organization, a nearly $30.5 million NSP2 grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Agency was the only NSP2 grant recipient in Tennessee.…

We audited the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) of Special Services for Groups (Special Services) based on the results of a separate audit of the City of Los Angeles Housing Department (Department). Special Services is a subrecipient of the Department’s HPRP. HPRP is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), and auditing Recovery Act programs is one of the U.S. Department…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) audited PNC Mortgage (PNC), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved nonsupervised lender and servicer. We selected PNC for audit based on a citizen’s complaint regarding National City Mortgage Corporation (National City). PNC acquired National City in December 2008. Therefore, the report will be addressed to the current entity. Our objective was to determine whether…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Missouri Housing Development Commission’s (Commission) Recovery Act funded Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP). Our audit objective was to determine whether the Commission expended Recovery Act grant funds in accordance with Recovery Act requirements and applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules. We…

We completed a review of the Hawthorne Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 program. We performed the audit based on a recommendation from the Los Angeles U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Public Housing indicating missing and/or inadequate financial records, and because Section 8 reviews are a part of the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) annual audit plan. Our objective was to determine…

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General audited the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to determine whether it ensured that properties funded with its Recovery Act Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP 2) grant were eligible, obtained adequate supporting documentation for NSP expenditures, procured goods and services properly, and ensured that program income was properly used.…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) controls over selected configuration management (CM) activities. This audit was based on work performed during our fiscal year 2009 and 2010 reviews of information system security controls in support of the annual financial statement audits. During those audits, we identified weaknesses in security controls over selected CM activities. HUD had processes and…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the DuPage Housing Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2010 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority based on the results of our audits of its Project-Based Voucher program. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority effectively…

We audited the underwriting of a $45.6 million mortgage loan that was acquired by Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage, Inc. (the Lender) to rehabilitate Wingate Towers and Garden Apartments. The audit was performed based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Multifamily Development. The Lender acquired and became responsible for the loan origination activities, personnel, books and…

We audited the West Virginia Housing Development Fund’s (Fund) Tax Credit Assistance Program (Program) funds awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) due to a complaint from the Recovery and Transparency Board. We also audited the Fund’s Program because it was the only housing finance agency across the Nation that had not spent any of its Program funds. Our objective was to determine whether the…

We reviewed The Community Builders, a nonprofit development and asset management firm that received a $78.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress established the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 to grant funds to States, local governments, nonprofits, and a consortium of nonprofit entities for the purpose of stabilizing…

We audited the Jersey City Housing Authority’s (Authority) administration of its Replacement Housing Factor (RHF) grants received under the capital fund program. This is the third audit report regarding the Authority’s capital fund programs. We selected the Authority because of the size of its capital fund programs and because of its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) risk rating. Our audit objective was to…

We audited the Jersey City Housing Authority’s (Authority) administration of its public housing capital fund program funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). This is the second audit report regarding the Authority’s capital fund programs. We selected the Authority because of the size of its capital fund programs and because of its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) risk…

We audited the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (Authority) payments for outside legal services based on a citizen’s complaint alleging misuse of these funds, our observations and concerns regarding the Authority’s use of outside attorneys on prior audits, and concerns over the large sums the Authority paid for outside legal services reported in the media. The Authority paid $30.5 million for outside legal services provided by 15 law…

We audited Westbeth Artists Houses (auditee) in response to a complaint submitted to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) hotline alleging that project funds were used to pay an executive director in violation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. Our audit objectives were to assess the merits of the complaint and determine whether project operations generally complied with HUD regulations pertaining…

We audited Semper Home Loans, Inc. (Semper), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lender approved to underwrite and close mortgage loans without prior FHA review or approval. We selected Semper because its early payment default rate was higher than the default rate in the local area in which it does business. Our audit objectives were to determine (1) whether Semper acted in a prudent manner and complied with U.S. Department of…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the East St. Louis Housing Authority’s (Authority) Public Housing Capital Fund program. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority had proper support for its capital fund draws. We concluded that the Authority drew down grant funds for ineligible items and without adequate support. Specifically, it made unsupported draws…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited Oregon Housing and Community Services to determine whether it timely obligated Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds, adequately monitored subgrantee and contractor performance, properly maintained NSP records, and reasonably assured NSP funds were spent for eligible activities. We selected OHCS because it received $19.6 million…