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Crime, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
  • Recommendation Number: 2021-KC-0004-001-C
  • Status: Closed
  • Date Issued: July 28, 2021
Closed Date:
August 08, 2025

Develop an automated real-time system for HUD and PBCA staff to use to receive, track, and resolve health and safety issues.

Publication Report

2021-KC-0004 | July 28, 2021

HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs’ Complaint Process Did Not Ensure That Health and Safety Complaints Were Resolved in a Timely Manner

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General, audited HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs’ health and safety complaint process.  We conducted this audit due to a July 2019 explosion that occurred… more

Related Recommendations

Housing

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2021-KC-0004-001-A
    Closed on March 30, 2026
    Priority
    Priority

    We believe these open recommendations, if implemented, will have the greatest impact on helping HUD achieve its mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.

    Develop a comprehensive process to ensure that complaints received by HUD’s Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse are resolved in a timely manner.

    Corrective Action Taken

    The  Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Resource Center fields complaint calls and directs them to the appropriate party. When a FHA Resource Center complaint is referred to the Multifamily Regional Office, it is entered into the Asset Management Processing System (AMPS), the workload tracking system for HUD’s Multifamily Programs, within one day of receipt and tracked to completion with a goal of resolution within 21 days of receipt.  If a complaint is categorized as health and safety, it is prioritized for expeditious response by the assigned Account Executive.  Multifamily Field and Regional management track responses, to ensure resolution.  This includes having the Account Executives, at times, call the resident to confirm the issue has been resolved.  Based upon process as described HUD OIG concurred with the closure of this priority recommendation.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2021-KC-0004-001-B
    Closed on April 24, 2026
    Priority
    Priority

    We believe these open recommendations, if implemented, will have the greatest impact on helping HUD achieve its mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.

    Develop agencywide policies and procedures for the intake, monitoring, and tracking of health and safety complaints.

    Status

    The Office of Multifamily Housing has not yet updated its policies and procedures for the intake, monitoring, and tracking of health and safety complaints.  HUD was in the process of developing an automated monitoring system in the FHA resource center to allow tracking of individual calls and the call’s subject, such as health and safety.  HUD missed the final action target date of December 31, 2022, and a new completion goal was set for February 2025.  In July 2025, HUD sought closure for this recommendation due to unavailability of funds.  HUD stated that its issuance of policies and procedures for a comprehensive process was contingent on the development of a tracking system for the complaint process, for which it has repeatedly requested funding from Congress to no avail. As of January 2026, OIG is in the process of collaborating with HUD on finding a potential corrective action to resolve outstanding concerns.

    Analysis

    To fully address this recommendation, HUD must provide evidence that it has developed and implemented policies and procedures for the Multifamily properties for the intake, monitoring, and tracking of health and safety complaints it receives when using the FHA’s automated monitoring system.

    Implementation of this recommendation will result in HUD having a more efficient process for taking in, monitoring, and tracking health and safety complaints and aid HUD in more efficiently addressing those complaints.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2021-KC-0004-001-D
    Closed on June 02, 2025

    Revise the annual contributions contract to more clearly define the required treatment of health and safety issues, to include: • Specific timeliness requirements for resolving life-threatening and non-life-threatening health and safety issues. • Notification that HUD will actively monitor the status of complaints and become involved in resolution if necessary. • Requirement that PBCAs will immediately contact HUD staff if a property has a life-threatening or non-life-threatening health and safety issue and report when the issue is resolved. • Requirement that the projects’ property management will immediately contact PBCA staff if a property has a life-threatening or non-life-threatening health and safety issue and report when the issue is resolved.