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We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide documentation to support that at least one-third of the Homefirst board were representatives of a low-income community. If documentation cannot be provided, reimburse the $227,903 to the County’s HOME program line of credit from non-Federal sources.

Publication Report

2017-NY-1005 | January 12, 2017

Union County, NJ’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program Was Not Always Administered in Compliance With Program Requirements

We audited Union County, NJ’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program based on a risk analysis of the County’s program that considered the amount of funding, the risk score assigned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and our… more

Related Recommendations

Community Planning and Development

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-A
    $3,536,974.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to reimburse $3,536,974 to the County’ HOME program line of credit for assistance spent on the four activities that were partially terminated or noncompliant with program requirements.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-B
    Closed on January 22, 2020

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to strengthen the County’s administrative controls to ensure that its HOME program is reimbursed for assistance spent on terminated or noncompliant activities.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-C
    Closed on November 13, 2019

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide environmental review documentation, such as environmental assessment and a phase I environmental review, for the activity to support compliance with environmental review requirements.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-D
    Closed on March 31, 2020

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide procurement documentation, such as proof of advertising, bids received, bid analysis reports, contracts, and other documents, for contracts associated with the three activities to support compliance with procurement requirements.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-E
    $435,094.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide disbursement documentation to support the eligibility of the $435,094 made for the two activities or repay the County’s HOME program line of credit from non-Federal source.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-F
    Closed on February 11, 2020
    $597,519.00
    Funds Put to Better Use

    Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to impose deed restrictions or other mechanisms approved by HUD on the two properties that received HOME assistance of $597,519 to enforce affordability requirements during the affordability period.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-G
    $354,750.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide documentation to support that laborers associated with the activity are compensated in compliance with Davis-Bacon wage rates. If documentation cannot be provided, $567,767 needs to be reimbursed to the County’s HOME line of credit from non-Federal sources.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-H
    Closed on January 23, 2020

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to strengthen the County’s administrative controls to ensure compliance with environmental, procurement, and other program requirements.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-I
    Closed on July 11, 2018

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide HOME program training to County staff to ensure compliance with HOME program requirements.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-J
    Closed on May 27, 2021
    $573,689.00
    Funds Put to Better Use

    Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to reallocate the $573,689 awarded to the ineligible CHDO, thus ensure that the fund is put to better use.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-K
    $242,269.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to reimburse $242,269 to the County’s HOME program line of credit for CHDO reserve fund disbursed to the ineligible CHDO.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-M
    $536,507.00
    Funds Put to Better Use

    Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to reimburse the $536,507 in program income to the County’s HOME program local bank account and record the income in IDIS.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-N
    Closed on November 18, 2019

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to reconcile the County’s carryover balance of HOME match as of September 30, 2015, for the ineligible HOME match contributions and the understated HOME match contributions.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-O
    Closed on July 11, 2018
    $92,557.00
    Funds Put to Better Use

    Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to disburse the $92,557 to pay eligible HOME costs before making additional drawdowns from LOCCS.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-P
    Closed on January 23, 2020

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to strengthen the County’s financial controls over reconciling bank records to ensure that HOME funds in the local bank account are spent before drawdowns are made from LOCCS.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-Q

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide documentation, such as pay stubs and leases, to support compliance with HOME program rent limit and income eligibility requirements for the six tenants who occupied HOME-assisted units.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-R
    $260,736.00
    Questioned Costs

    Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide documents, such as pay stubs and bank statements, to support the eligibility of the two home buyers. If documentation cannot be provided, reimburse $260,736 from non-Federal sources to the County’s HOME program line of credit.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2017-NY-1005-001-S
    Closed on January 23, 2020

    We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to strengthen the County’s administrative controls to ensure that County staff adequately monitors its subgrantee for compliance with HOME program requirements and provide HOME program training to the County subgrantee’s staff.