Audit 380063

Certification of Tenants Criteria and Condition The grant agreement requires ECS to (1) maintain complete tenant files in the San Francisco HMIS ONE System with hard-copy eligibility documents; (2) apply changes to tenant rent portions based on City and County of San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supporting Housing (HSH) notifications; and (3) perform required initial, annual, and interim recertifications under the Housing First program model. We noted instances where tenant files did not contain complete eligibility documentation and/or where required recertifications or updates to tenant rent portions were not performed or documented in accordance with the grant requirements. Context ECS provides rental assistance under the program described in Appendix A-2, which requires full documentation of tenant eligibility and strict adherence to rent-portion updates and recertification timelines. Of our 31 selections, we noted 6 instances where homelessness verification was missing, 6 instances where the rent portions based on HSH notifications were incorrect and 10 instances where the recertifications were not completed for the grant period under audit. Questioned Cost There are no questioned costs regarding this finding. Cause The exceptions result from inconsistent file maintenance and monitoring procedures, including insufficient review over documentation completeness and timeliness of recertifications. The issues were centered on tenant files managed by a third-party service provider. Effect Incomplete tenant files and untimely recertifications increase the risk of noncompliance with grant requirements and may result in incorrect tenant rent portions being charged or insufficient support for program eligibility. Repeat Finding This finding is not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend that ECS enhance its documentation and monitoring processes with its third-party property managers by implementing a standardized tenant file checklist, conducting periodic supervisory reviews to confirm that all eligibility documents and recertifications are completed and retained, and establishing a tracking process to ensure tenant rent portions are updated promptly based on HSH notifications. View of responsible officials Management agrees with the recommendation.