We audited the Yorkville Cooperative (Cooperative) based on a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Richmond Multifamily Program Center and a citizen complaint. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Cooperative administered its Section 221(d)(3) property and housing assistance contract according to its regulatory agreement and HUD requirements. The Cooperative did not administer its Section…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Grand Rapids Housing Commission’s (Commission) Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the Commission’s program based upon our internal audit survey of HUD’s oversight of the program and our analysis of risk factors relating to the housing…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the City of Saginaw’s (City) Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) program-funded demolition activities. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the City based upon a request from HUD’s Detroit Office of Community Planning and Development. Our audit objective was to determine whether the…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s (Authority) Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the Authority’s program based upon our internal audit survey of HUD’s oversight of the program and our analysis of risk factors relating to the…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the City of Flint’s (City) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (Program). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2009 annual audit plan. We selected the City based upon our analysis of risk factors relating to Program grantees in Region V’s jurisdiction and a citizen complaint to our office. Our audit objectives were to determine…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General performed an audit of Custom Closing Services, Incorporated (Custom), a contractor closing sales of HUD real estate-owned properties in the state of Michigan. The audit was conducted based on a complaint to our hotline alleging that Custom caused significant delays in the closing of HUD homes in Michigan. Our audit objective was to determine whether…

We audited the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (Authority) administration of its housing assistance payments for leased housing. This is the last of three audit reports we plan to issue on the Authority's program. The audit objective addressed in this report was to determine whether the Authority properly maintained documentation to support housing assistance payments and accurately calculated them. The Authority did not…

We audited the City of Norfolk's (City) HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program based on a request from the Community Planning and Development Division in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Richmond, Virginia, field office. Our audit objective was to determine whether the City properly administered its HOME program by following HUD requirements related to homebuyer assistance, modernization rehabilitation…

We audited the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority's (Authority) administration of its housing quality standards inspection program for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program as part of our fiscal year 2008 audit plan. Our audit was to determine whether the Authority adequately administered its Section 8 housing quality standards inspection program to ensure that its program units met housing quality standards in accordance…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Lansing Housing Commission's (Commission) nonprofit development activities. The review of public housing authorities' development activities is set forth in our fiscal year 2007 annual audit plan. We selected the Commission because it was identified as having high-risk indicators of nonprofit development activity. Our objective was…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Highland Park Housing Commission's (Commission) Public Housing program (program). The audit was part of the activities in our annual audit plan. We selected the Commission based upon its fiscal year 2005 independent auditor's report that identified it as having a high-risk program. Our objectives were to determine whether the…

Attached is the final report on our audit of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (Authority), Richmond, Virginia, Audit Report Number 2008-PH-1006, dated April 15, 2008. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Authority adequately managed its waiting list, met HUD's lease-up thresholds, and operated its Family Self-Sufficiency program according to HUD requirements. The Authority's Housing Choice Voucher program…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Highland Park Housing Commission's (Commission) Public Housing and Public Housing Capital Fund programs (programs). The audit was part of the activities in our annual audit plan. We selected the Commission based upon its fiscal year 2005 independent auditor's report that identified it as having high-risk programs. Our objectives…

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and race-based interference with housing and employment.According to court documents, David L. Merryman, 59, owned 39 rental properties in Newport News and 23 more in Hampton.  Many of Merryman’s rental properties were in poor condition and located in low-income neighborhoods. He primarily rented the properties to…