U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know

The .gov means it’s official.

Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure.

The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Hotline

Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse
April 11, 2019
  • Public and Indian Housing
2019-KC-1001
2019-KC-1001.pdf

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited Columbia Housing Authority in Columbia, MO because it was the only public housing agency in the State of Missouri that had converted units under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s RAD program at the time.  Our objective was to determine whether the Authority maintained auditable written records of resident relocation incentive payment consultations and properly paid business relocation incentive payments.

We found that the Authority did not maintain the required written records of resident relocation incentive payment consultations.  As a result, the Authority was unable to demonstrate that $126,824 in incentive payments were fair and consistent.  In addition, the Authority risked an appearance of favoritism.  We also found that the Authority paid $9,608 for a business owner’s relocation costs and financial losses without calculating the previous 2 years of average annual net earnings.  As a result, HUD lacked assurance that the Authority properly paid a displaced business in lieu of payment for actual moving and related expenses.   

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s St. Louis, MO, Office of Public Housing require the Authority to support $126,824 in incentive payments and develop and implement controls over its incentives program, including record-keeping rquirements; defined processes, such as detailed checklist of available incentives, including monetary limits; and supervisory review requirements.  Additionally, we recommend that HUD take appropriate administrative action and require the Authority to support the $9,608 payment with the required 2 years of annual net earnings.

Recommendations
Recommendation Status Date Issued Summary
2019-KC-1001-001-A Closed April 11, 2019 Support the $126,824 in total incentive payments. For any amount it cannot support, HUD should require the project development group, LP, to pay the equivalent, from any of its reserves other than reserve for replacement, toward the project mortgage principle.
2019-KC-1001-001-B Closed April 11, 2019 Develop and implement controls over its incentives program, including record-keeping requirements; defined processes, such as a detailed checklist of available incentives, including monetary limits; and supervisory review requirements.
2019-KC-1001-002-A Closed April 11, 2019 Require the Authority to support the $9,608 payment with the required 2 years of average annual net earnings. For any amount that cannot be supported, HUD should require the Oak Towers Housing Development Group, LP, to pay the equivalent, from any of its reserves other than reserve for replacement, toward the Oak Towers mortgage principle.
2019-KC-1001-002-B Closed April 11, 2019 Take appropriate administrative actions against Authority staff for noncompliance.