Federal Reports

HHS-OIG'S Semiannual Report to Congress describes OIG's work identifying significant risks, problems, abuses, deficiencies, remedies, and investigative outcomes relating to the administration of HHS programs and operations that were disclosed during the semiannual reporting period October 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021.

This report summarizes work that we initiated and completed during this semiannual period on a number of critical Departmental activities. Over the past 6 months—in addition to issuing our annual Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Commerce—our office issued 20 products related to our audit, evaluation, inspection, and public investigative work. These products addressed programs and personnel associated with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), International Trade Administration (ITA), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the Department itself. This report also describes our investigative activities addressing programs and personnel associated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department itself.

In June 2020, we received letters from members of Congress, including the chairpersons of the House Committee on Financial Services and Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, expressing concern that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) imposed a new, nonpublic, and legally erroneous policy that prohibited issuing Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The letters included a concern that HUD had made DACA borrowers ineligible by changing residency requirements within the FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (HUD Handbook 4000.1) in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. In response to the letters from Congress, we announced an evaluation with the following objectives in December 2020.To determine1. whether HUD provided lenders with uniform and accurate guidance regarding borrower residency requirements outlined in HUD Handbook 4000.1 and2. how HUD oversees residency eligibility requirements for single-family borrowers.In January 2021, HUD announced that DACA recipients that are legally permitted to work in the United States may apply for FHA-insured mortgages, effective January 19, 2021. HUD shared its announcement through its FHA INFO email subscription so that FHA-approved lending partners would be aware of the change. HUD also posted the announcement to its waiver database website. To prepare to respond to inquiries from the public, HUD updated two Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files, and created an additional FAQ file in its FHA Resource Center to reflect the announcement. HUD plans to update HUD Handbook 4000.1 to reflect the announced eligibility change by approximately April 2021.As a result of HUD’s policy update, we have closed our evaluation.