Finding Text
Criteria Tenant lease files are required to be maintained and tenant eligibility determined in accordance with HUD Handbook 4350.3, Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs. Condition In connection with our lease file review, we noted the following deficiencies: 5 out of 7 tenants tested did not utilize the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system timely. 5 out of 7 tenants tested did not prepare the HUD Form 50059 timely. Cause The Project failed to follow the policies and procedures which have been established for proper tenant file maintenance and determining tenant eligibility in accordance with HUD guidelines. Effect or Potential Effect The procedures for determining tenant security deposits and eligibility and maintaining tenant lease files were not consistently applied in accordance with HUD Handbook 4350.3, Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs. Noncompliance with HUD guidelines could result in units being rented to ineligible tenants or errors in the rent subsidies paid by HUD. Questioned Costs None Context A sample of 7 tenant files from a population of 60 were selected. We identified exceptions in 7 out of the 7 files tested. The sample in not a statistically valid sample. Identification as a Repeat Finding This finding is not a repeat finding. Recommendation Management should establish procedures and monitor compliance with those procedures to ensure that tenant security deposits are correctly recorded, tenant eligibility is correctly determined and that tenant lease files are properly maintained in accordance with the requirements of HUD Handbook 4350.3, Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs. Auditor Noncompliance Code: R - Section 8 program administration Finding Resolution Status: In-process Views of Responsible Officials Management compliance is addressing the generating of EIV reports to align with verification dates (<120 days) rather than when annual recertification notices are generated/sent (at least 120 days). Delays in recertification completion have improved; a majority of the certifications reviewed were effective within first 6 months of transition while the site was still adjusting to new software and management. Additional training has been provided to emphasize the importance of timely reporting and completion.