We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to show that $118,800 paid to the State’s contractor for appraisals performed by its subcontractors was reasonable, supported, and for services that were performed in accordance with applicable requirements or reimburse any unsupported costs from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to show that $75,006 used for appraisal quality control reviews was for services that complied with applicable requirements or reimburse any unsupported costs from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to show that $156,940 paid for sales brochures, economic land analysis studies, and consultant fees was reasonable, necessary, supported, and for services that were performed in accordance with applicable requirements or reimburse any unsupported costs from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to show that $3,119,209 paid for appraisals and poststorm addenda performed by its contractor was reasonable, supported, and for services that were performed in accordance with applicable requirements or reimburse any unsupported costs from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to strengthen controls over the property valuation process for its program to ensure that up to $93,350,616 not yet disbursed is put to better use.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to support the appraised fair market values of any other properties purchased under the program since January 2016 that relied upon appraisals conducted by the contractors discussed in this report to ensure that settlement costs for those properties were supported. If support cannot be provided, the State should reimburse the unsupported costs from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to support the appraised fair market values of the 942 other properties included in our sampling universe to ensure that $361,465,173 in settlement costs was supported. This recommendation includes but is not limited to providing support to show that appraisals contained accurate and verified information for the subject and comparable properties, time adjustments were supported, and other adjustments were supported.

We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the State to provide documentation to support the appraised fair market values of the 14 properties sampled to ensure that $5,920,097 in settlement costs was supported. This recommendation includes but is not limited to providing support to show that appraisals contained accurate and verified information for the subject and comparable properties, time adjustments were supported, and other adjustments were supported.

We recommend that Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs take action to correct and address the DRGR system material internal control weaknesses identified in this report.

We recommend that Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs adopt and enforce new written policies, procedures, and internal controls for all CDBG Disaster Recovery funds that have a statutory grantee expenditure deadline, which will ensure that $413,530,414 in 2013 Act funds will be put to better use.