Open Recommendations

Develop and implement a fraud analytics strategy using available data, including but not limited to data and information collected during the grantee risk assessment and monitoring processes, to begin conducting data analyses to identify potential fraud risks for further review.

Develop a comprehensive process to ensure that complaints received by HUD's Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse are resolved in a timely manner.

Status

Develop agencywide policies and procedures for the intake, monitoring, and tracking of health and safety complaints.

Status

Develop an automated real-time system for HUD and PBCA staff to use to
receive, track, and resolve health and safety issues.

Establish and implement a process to ensure that The Office of Multifamily Housing Programs' policies, procedures, and supervisory controls are effective. This process should include addressing postdisaster damage assessments, properly updating iREMS, and executing loan forbearances. This process should also integrate with other HUD program offices as appropriate to improve consistency with HUD's overall disaster response and to ensure the effectiveness of disaster controls.

Obtain the proper approval and communicate the IT modernization strategy to all appropriate stakeholders, including HUD program offices.

We recommend that the Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance require the Texas GLO to provide its plan to continuously monitor Harris County's pace and performance in its remaining Hurricane Harvey CDBG-DR program and take appropriate action to ensure that program goals are met.

We recommend that the Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance require the Texas GLO to set performance and financial milestones, including approval of Harris County's projects and obligation and expenditure of funds, for all programs and activities funded under the Harris County subrecipient agreement through the remainder of the contract and deadlines for Harris County to achieve those milestones.

We recommend that the Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance require the Texas GLO to provide evidence of subrecipient monitoring of Harris County's capacity to manage its Hurricane Harvey grant funds to address duplicative, inefficient, and cost-prohibitive processes or positions. The evidence should include any corrective actions that have been imposed and Harris County's response.

We recommend that the Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance require the Texas GLO to ensure that Harris County obtains adequate training for its program staff and that the staff continuously demonstrates their understanding of and competence to operate Harris County's programs within applicable requirements. This would include ensuring that Harris County takes appropriate steps to remedy situations where staff are not operating the program within applicable requirements.

We recommend that the Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance require the Texas GLO to review Harris County's Housing Reimbursement Program policies, including assistance prioritization, to ensure compliance with the Texas GLO's action plan and amendments. This would include the Texas GLO analyzing the County's project pipeline to determine whether changes are warranted to ensure that those most in need are prioritized to receive limited Federal assistance.

Provide documentation to support that program activities within NHSLA's interfund were for eligible NSP2 activities or repay the program $3,425,679 from non-Federal funds.

Return the outstanding balance of $529,745 owed to NSP2. In addition, cease the practice of depositing NSP2 funds in non-NSP2 accounts and making them available to be used or borrowed for non-NSP2 activities.

Provide documentation to support that $658,261 in loan proceeds was used for an eligible NSP2 activity or property or repay the program from non-Federal funds.

Provide documentation to support that $500,000 in NSP funds transferred to the revolving loan fund was used for an eligible NSP2 activity or property or repay the program from non-Federal funds.

Amend the NSP2 action plan to include its revolving loan fund.

Adjust program income calculation methodology to ensure it is in accordance with HUD requirements.

Submit overdue NSP2 quarterly reports to DRGR and update prior reports that did not accurately report program income activity.

Provide adequate documentation to support its administrative and project delivery cost expenditures or repay the program $1,388,545 from non-Federal funds.

Provide supporting documentation to show whether the outstanding liability of $324,478 is correctly classified as an NSP2 liability. If not, HUD should ensure that NHSLA corrects its NSP2 cost reimbursement summary for the 12 months ending June 30, 2018, to reclassify the expenses to a non-NSP2 program. Such funds would be considered funds to be put to better use.

Obtain training to ensure that it understands NSP2 regulations and requirements related to payroll allocation for its administrative and project delivery costs and program income calculation methodology to ensure it properly computes the amount it is allowed to charge for administrative costs.

Support the reasonableness of the South Gate contract or repay NSP2 $856,692 from non-Federal funds.

Implement a software asset management capability for software and operating systems to ensure that software executes only from the authorized software inventory and all unauthorized software is blocked from executing on HUD's network.

Status

The OIG has determined that the contents of this recommendation would not be appropriate for public disclosure and has therefore limited its distribution to selected officials.

The OIG has determined that the contents of this recommendation would not be appropriate for public disclosure and has therefore limited its distribution to selected officials.