Finding Text
2025-004 FEDERAL COMPLIANCE – WAITING LIST CONTACT Federal Program Name: Housing Choice Voucher Program Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 14.871 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Compliance Requirement: Eligibility and Special Provisions Criteria: Program procedures require sufficient documentation to demonstrate that waiting list selections and outreach were conducted consistently, timely, and in a transparent manner. Condition: For Section 8 project-specific vouchers, documentation of contact with individuals selected from the waiting list was not consistently maintained. Files lacked evidence of outreach such as letters, emails, call logs, or documentation of responses and outcomes. Cause: Documentation requirements for waiting list contact were not clearly defined or consistently enforced. Effect and Questioned Costs: Without documentation of outreach efforts, the program cannot demonstrate that project-specific voucher selections were conducted fairly and in compliance with program requirements, increasing risk of noncompliance or disputes. Recommendation: Management should implement a standardized process to document and retain all waiting list contact attempts, including method, dates, and outcomes, in project-specific voucher files. Management’s Response: When applicants call or come in to request a change to contact information, the PHA now requires the applicant to provide the updated information in writing (completed by the applicant) rather than staff updating records solely based on a verbal request. This provides documentation for the change and strengthens file integrity.