Finding 1175937 (2025-001)

Finding 2025-001 – Moving To Work Demonstration Tenant Files – Eligibility – Internal Control over Tenant Files – Noncompliance and Significant Deficiency Condition & Cause: The review of one hundred seventy-one (171) Moving To Work tenant files found that twenty-three (23) files were noncompliant, representing 13.5% of our sample. Some files had multiple compliance issues. Findings: Income Miscalculations (8)/Missing Income and Deduction Verifications (2)/Missing EIV Reports (11) Corrective Action Plan: The first step in our corrective action plan is to increase staff training. In the past year we have had significant staff turnover at the Management Specialist position. The position responsible for the annual recertification process and rent calculations. We will establish a training curriculum that will provide initial and ongoing training for this position. The goal being to develop and continue to build the knowledge base of the specialist. Ensuring they are able to perform the functions of their job in a manner that is compliant and consistent with HUD and LHA regulations and policies. The second step in our corrective action plan is to improve our compliance monitoring process. This process consists of layers of compliance monitoring that will provide a 100% audit of all files within the calendar year. The structure for compliance monitoring will be as follows: • Peer Review- Another specialist in the office must review and sign off on the completed certification before it is processed electronically. • Management review-The Housing Manager will audit ten files per week in the office including all new move-in files. • Compliance review-The Compliance Coordinator will audit 40 files per week (ten files from each team) and also review all new move-in files at the end of each month. The compliance monitoring will include a review sheet that lists any issues found in the file and a deadline for the team to make the necessary corrections and resubmit the file to compliance. These measures will ensure that all tenant files are reviewed multiple times on an annual basis for compliance, while providing staff training and awareness by identifying issues and correcting them. In addition to training, the Director of Housing Operations will also develop a checklist that will be included with every recertification to ensure that all forms and verifications including the EIV are in each file. Each specialist will sign the checklist certifying their work. Persons Responsible: Director of Housing Operations - Dana Mason; Compliance Coordinator - Dana Tincher; Housing Managers - Renee Christian, Cathy Hall & Sumaya Rayan; Management Specialists - Virginia Auxier, Marlene Stevenson, Brittany Williamson, Giana Hall, Jennfer Loudermilk, Linda Gates, Tiffany Clark & Sherily Blackburn Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2026 Finding: Late Annual Reexaminations (3) Corrective Action Plan: LHA staff have implemented several measures to correct this finding. We have hired additional staff and redistributed units to evenly spread the caseload. In addition to these measures, we also implemented reporting that is more accurate and consistent to ensure recertifications are completed timely. LHA’s Strategic Initiatives and Resident Programs (SIRP) Manager will provide monthly reports on recertification status for each team. This report will show upcoming recertifications due within 120 days and any that are past due for each team. Each manager will ensure that any past due recert is completed immediately. Person Responsible: Director of Housing Operations - Dana Mason; Strategic Initiatives and Resident Programs Manager - Samantha Passalacqua; Housing Managers - Renee Christian, Cathy Hall & Sumaya Rayan Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2026 Finding: Files Missing support for unit inspections (4) Corrective Action Plan: LHA created a new position earlier this year to address this audit finding. In May the new Public Housing Inspector was hired to conduct annual unit inspections for all LHA owned units. The inspector will complete an NSPIRE inspection in all units independent from the management office. This will ensure that all of the units have annual inspection going forward. The inspection will be maintained electronically for easy access and storage. Person Responsible: Director of Housing Operations - Dana Mason; Compliance Coordinator - Dana Tincher; Public Housing Inspector - Alan Pike Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2026