Support the eligibility of more than $4,187,560 in unsupported costs or require the grantees to repay the U.S. Treasury from non-Federal funds.
2017-LA-0006 | September 21, 2017
HUD Did Not Administer Economic Development Initiative – Special Project and Neighborhood Initiative Congressional Grants in Accordance With Program Requirements
Community Planning and Development
- Status2017-LA-0006-001-AOpenClosed$4,187,560Questioned 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.
- Status2017-LA-0006-001-BOpenClosed$343,000Questioned 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.
Require one grantee to repay the U.S. Treasury $343,000 from non-Federal funds for ineligible program costs incurred for the project identified in this report.
2017-NY-1012 | September 21, 2017
The City of New York, NY, Could Improve Its Invoice Review Process Before Disbursing Disaster Funds Under Its Public Housing Rehabilitation and Resilience Program
Community Planning and Development
- Status2017-NY-1012-001-AOpenClosed
We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the City to provide documentation showing that it obtained adequate support for contractor invoices related to disaster funds it disbursed to its subrecipient under the program.
- Status2017-NY-1012-001-BOpenClosed
We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the City to provide documentation showing that it has strengthened its invoice review process to ensure that costs are eligible and supported before disbursing disaster funds to its subrecipient under the program.
2017-DE-1003 | September 21, 2017
Baker Tower, Denver, CO, Incorrectly Disbursed Funds and Did Not Correctly Administer the Project’s Security Deposit Account
Housing
- Status2017-DE-1003-001-AOpenClosed
Develop and implement controls over owner contributions and owner distributions to ensure compliance with its regulatory agreement and HUD regulations.
- Status2017-DE-1003-001-BOpenClosed
Complete HUD-approved training regarding owner contributions and distributions.
- Status2017-DE-1003-001-COpenClosed$15,000Questioned 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.
Repay its project’s operating account for the ineligible $15,000 disbursement from non-project funds.
- Status2017-DE-1003-002-AOpenClosed
Perform an analysis of all security deposits and ensure that the security deposit account is fully funded.
- Status2017-DE-1003-002-BOpenClosed
Implement controls to ensure existing procedures are followed to maintain the project’s security deposit funds separately from all other accounts by depositing and disbursing all security deposit funds directly into and from the security deposit account.
2017-LA-1801 | September 20, 2017
Venta Financial Group, Inc., Las Vegas, NV, Improperly Originated FHA-Insured Loans With Restrictive Covenants
Housing
- Status2017-LA-1801-001-AOpenClosed$423,759Funds 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.
Work with HUD to nullify the restrictions on conveyance that violate HUD policy or indemnify HUD. This action will protect HUD against future losses of $418,277 for the eight loans.
- Status2017-LA-1801-001-BOpenClosed$5,482Questioned 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.
Repay HUD $5,482 for partial claims paid on two FHA loans that contained prohibited restrictive covenants.
- Status2017-LA-1801-001-COpenClosed
Develop and implement policies and procedures to identify prohibited restrictions on conveyance to ensure that it does not originate FHA loans with prohibited restrictive covenants.
- Status2017-LA-1801-001-DOpenClosed
Provide training to its employees regarding HUD’s requirements related to prohibited restrictions on conveyance.
2017-NY-1011 | September 20, 2017
MB Financial Bank, Rosemont, IL, Did Not Always Follow HUD’s Underwriting Requirements but Generally Complied With Quality Control Requirements
Housing
- Status2017-NY-1011-001-AOpenClosed$178,811Funds 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 Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require MB Financial to indemnify HUD against potential losses of $178,811 for the four loans that did not comply with underwriting requirements (appendix C). HUD provided us copies of the four executed indemnification agreements in August and September 2017. Therefore, upon issuance of this report, we will enter a management decision into HUD’s Audit Resolution and Corrective Action Tracking System, along with copies of the indemnification agreements, and close this recommendation.
- Status2017-NY-1011-001-BOpenClosed
We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require MB Financial to provide training to its underwriters on HUD’s underwriting requirements for approving and rejecting loans.
- Status2017-NY-1011-001-COpenClosed
We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require MB Financial to update its policies and procedures to ensure that its staff understands underwriting requirements and the requirement that loans be manually underwritten when a refer decision is received from automated underwriting systems or when a loan is downgraded to a manual underwrite.
- Status2017-NY-1011-002-AOpenClosed
We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing require MB Financial to update its quality control plan to include the specific procedures to be used when reviewing rejected loan applications.
2017-AT-1802 | September 15, 2017
San Sebastian Fine Arts Center, Office of the Commissioner for Municipal Affairs, San Juan, PR, State Block Grant Program
Community Planning and Development
- Status2017-AT-1802-001-AOpenClosed$1,014,211Questioned 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.
Reevaluate the feasibility of the project to determine the eligibility of the $1,014,211 in State Block Grant funds disbursed. If HUD determines that the project has been canceled or is not feasible, the Government of Puerto Rico or its designee must reimburse all project costs to its State Block Grant program from non-Federal funds.
- Status2017-AT-1802-001-BOpenClosed
Instruct the Office for the Socioeconomic and Community Development to submit a plan for how it will proceed with the fine arts center project. The plan should include a schedule that HUD can track to ensure the project’s completion without proposing the use of additional HUD funds.
2017-NY-1010 | September 15, 2017
The State of New York Did Not Show That Disaster Recovery Funds under Its Non-Federal Share Match Program Were Used for Eligible and Supported Costs
Community Planning and Development
- Status2017-NY-1010-001-AOpenClosed$18,782,054Questioned 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 HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs direct the State to provide documentation to show that the $18,782,054 used for four activities was for eligible and supported costs and did not duplicate other benefits or repay from non-Federal funds any amount that it cannot support.