We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide procurement documentation, such as proof of advertising, bids received, bid analysis reports, contracts, and other documents, for contracts associated with the three activities to support compliance with procurement requirements.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to provide environmental review documentation, such as environmental assessment and a phase I environmental review, for the activity to support compliance with environmental review requirements.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to strengthen the County’s administrative controls to ensure that its HOME program is reimbursed for assistance spent on terminated or noncompliant activities.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct County officials to reimburse $3,536,974 to the County’ HOME program line of credit for assistance spent on the four activities that were partially terminated or noncompliant with program requirements.

We recommend that HUD’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs instruct City officials to reimburse the Program from non-Federal funds $18,274,054 in exempt State sales tax on repairs and maintenance services.

Submit supporting documentation showing the eligibility, reasonableness, and allocability of $38,164 charged to the Emergency programs for unsupported drawdowns and equipment cost allocations or reimburse the programs from non-Federal funds.

Reimburse $189,227 to the Emergency programs from non-Federal funds for ineligible charges made to the programs.

Provide support that $944,687 (Footnote 2: Emergency funds of more than $1.1 million drawn between July 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, were adjusted to consider $158,800 questioned in recommendation 1C and $38,164 questioned in recommendation 1D.) in Emergency funds drawn from HUD is reconciled with the accounting records and that such funds have not been used in violation of the restrictions and prohibitions of applicable statutes or reimburse the Emergency programs from non-Federal funds.

Complete the implementation of the new accounting system and ensure it tracks program funds to a level that supports compliance with HUD requirements.

Direct field offices to include property acquisition and disposition activities as an area of special emphasis when assessing grantee risk and establishing their monitoring plans and grantee monitoring strategies.