We audited the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) compliance with obligation, recapture, and reallocation requirements for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) Public Housing Capital Fund program. Specifically, its plans to recapture unobligated Recovery Act Public Housing Capital Fund formula grants by the March 17, 2010 obligation deadline and to reallocate the recaptured funds.

We reviewed the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) guidance on using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) capital funding for physical needs assessments. Our objective was to determine whether HUD’s guidance to grantees on using Recovery Act capital funds for physical needs assessments was sufficient to ensure grantees had the information needed to avoid missing the grant obligation deadline of March 17, 2010. HUD took actions in a timely manner to address concerns raised during the review.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited HUD's Office of Public Housing and Voucher Programs to determine whether HUD reasonably ensured that public housing agencies properly managed their housing choice voucher net restricted assets and to determine whether HUD appropriately awarded 2009 set-aside fund awards for unforeseen circumstances and higher than average leasing.

We selected the tribe for audit because it received a $4.7 million formula grant and a $4 million competitive grant, the largest Native American Housing Block Grants awarded in North Carolina under the Recovery Act.

We audited the Saginaw Housing Commission’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Public Housing Capital Fund Stimulus formula grant. The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2011 annual audit plan. We selected the Commission based upon our previous audits of the Commission’s use of Federal funds and a request to perform a comprehensive review of its programs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) management.

HUD OIG audited the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s (Authority’s) administration of its Public Housing Capital Fund grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This was an OIG-initiated audit in accordance with OIG’s 2010-2015 strategic plan to contribute to the effective use of Federal funds allocated by the Recovery Act.

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Hartford’s (the Authority’s) administration of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant that funded a construction management contract based on a hotline complaint. Our objective was to determine if the Authority solicited, evaluated, and administered the $2.5 million grant funding and associated contract (the contract) properly and in accordance with federal requirements. We also visited a sample of sites to evaluate the impact the grant had on housing.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General audited the Vancouver Housing Authority to determine whether it was managing and reporting its three awarded Recovery Act Capital Fund grants in accordance with requirements. We selected the Authority because it was part of our annual audit plan, which includes reviewing funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Authority did not manage the construction funded with Recovery Act Capital Fund grants in accordance with requirements.

We audited the Philadelphia 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 2010 audit plan. The audit objective addressed in this report was to determine whether the Authority ensured that its program units met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) housing quality standards. The Authority did not ensure that its program units met housing quality standards as required.