Finding 2022-001 ? Housing Choice Voucher Tenant Files ? Eligibility ? Noncompliance & Significant Deficiency ? Housing Choice Voucher Program ? CFDA #14.871 This last year was an extraordinary year for the New Reidsville Housing Authority. Not only did the Authority and its employees continue to ...
Finding 2022-001 ? Housing Choice Voucher Tenant Files ? Eligibility ? Noncompliance & Significant Deficiency ? Housing Choice Voucher Program ? CFDA #14.871 This last year was an extraordinary year for the New Reidsville Housing Authority. Not only did the Authority and its employees continue to experience the effects of the COVID pandemic, but two key employees, the HCV and Public Housing Specialists with almost 33 years of combined Authority experience, passed away. As a small housing authority, the sudden declining health and subsequent passing of two of the five office employees within weeks of one another left a significant void in knowledge and experience. Although the two employees that passed were cross trained on each other?s jobs, no remaining employees were fully trained or capable of assuming those positions. Recruiting began immediately, and all employees worked together to keep the departments functioning. In the months after the employees? passing, temporary and consultant labor was utilized until the Authority was able to find permanent replacements. The new personnel have proven to be extremely capable in a very short amount of time, and the process began immediately to organize and review each tenant and participant file to ensure completeness and compliance. Unfortunately, not all the files had been reviewed by the time of the annual audit. Prior to the annual audit, all new and existing housing personnel received training and cross training on both the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. In addition, the Authority began discussions with staff regarding the implementation of a peer review system where the HCV and PH specialists will audit each other?s files to ensure that accurate calculations are performed and that all required components and signatures are present in each file. An added layer of Executive Director review of a sampling of the Specialists? files will occur as well. The processes of cross training continued with software and housing-related training, written documentation of all tasks, file review, and office-wide organization of all pending items within each office and department will continue. Corrective Action Plan: We concur with this finding. We have emphasized to our new staff the importance of accurate tenant file information and are confident these errors and oversights will not occur in the future. A comprehensive tenant file review was underway but not complete at audit time. All new staff have been trained and cross-trained, and a peer review system with an added layer of Executive review of all tenant files and calculations is in the process of implementation. Person Responsible: Mitchell Fahrer, Executive Director Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2023