In accordance with our goal to review Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 grantees and because of weaknesses identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated a review of the City of San Antonio’s activities funded by its Neighborhood Stabilization Program 1 grant. The objective was to determine whether the City administered its grant in accordance with program requirements.

We completed a review of the City of Phoenix’s (City) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grants NSP1 and NSP2. We performed the review because it supports the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General’s strategic plan to contribute to the oversight objectives of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the City received a $60 million grant as one of 56 NSP2 grantees. Our objective was to determine whether the City administered its NSP2 grant in accordance with HUD requirements.

HUD OIG performed an audit of the State of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP1) in Montgomery, AL, to assess issues raised in a hotline complaint. The complaint alleged that the State of Alabama misused its NSP1 funds by not following the regulations and statutes governing the NSP1 program to ensure that it used program funds for eligible and supported purposes. The State was awarded a $37 million grant authorized under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General audited the State of Michigan’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program administered by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2011 annual audit plan. We selected the State based upon our designation of the Program as high risk and citizens’ complaints to our office.

We audited the City of Bayonne, NJ's (City) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) economic development activities in response to a complaint (HL- 09-1015) that contained four allegations.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General conducted a review of the City of Columbus, GA’s (City) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP1) to determine whether the City had demonstrated the capacity to properly obligate all NSP1 grant funds and at least 25 percent of the grant toward occupants with incomes below 50 percent of the median income in the locality (LH25) set-aside by the September 5, 2010, statutory deadline.

We audited the Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services’ Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2). We performed the audit because American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 reviews are part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) annual plan and Neighborhood Housing Services was awarded $60 million in Recovery Act NSP2 funds in a consortium agreement with 12 other organizations on February 11, 2010.

We audited the City of Houston’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery downpayment assistance program. The program allowed the City to provide up to $45,000 in downpayment assistance for homebuyers in low to moderate income areas within the City limits. We initiated the audit as part of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) annual audit plan to implement oversight of Disaster Recovery funds to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

HUD OIG reviewed the City of Chattanooga’s (City) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (program). We selected the City for review based on its low percentage of obligations and the approaching September 6, 2010, deadline for obligating funds. Our objective was to determine whether the City administered its program in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules and regulations. The City generally administered its program in accordance with HUD’s rules and regulations.

We audited the Municipality of Rio Grande’s (Municipality) Community Development Block Grant (Block Grant) program. We selected the Municipality for review as part of our strategic plan. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Municipality complied with U.S.