Finding Text
Federal Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Name: Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Assistance Listing Number: 14.181 Award Period: April 1995 – April 2035 Type of Finding: • Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The owner submits monthly vouchers to HUD for payment of rental assistance. The total amount of assistance equals total HUD-approved operating expenses for the Project minus the tenant payments received for all units (PRAC paragraph 2.4(f)(1)). Tenants generally are required to pay rent in accordance with a project rental assistance contract. The owner receives assistance from HUD on vacant rental assistance units at a rate of 50 percent of operating expense for a unit under PRAC (PRAC paragraph 2.4(b)) for the first 60 days of vacancy, given certain conditions are met (24 CFR section 891.445). Condition: The Project submits monthly HAP vouchers for rental assistance; however, there was no review performed of the form by someone who had not prepared the voucher prior to submission. Questioned costs: N/A Context: The absence of proper review of the monthly HAP Vouchers before submission. Cause: Management does not have controls in place to ensure the monthly HAP vouchers are properly reviewed before submission. Effect: The absence of proper review of the monthly HAP Vouchers could allow the receipt of improper rental assistance amounts. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that management establish and implement a formal internal control to ensure that someone who did not prepare the HAP Voucher reviews them for accuracy before submission. The preparation and review should be documented with a signature and date to ensure there is a proper audit trail. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit findings. Management Response: We will strengthen our internal controls by implementing a formal, documented review process to ensure that all monthly HAP Vouchers receive an independent review prior to submission to HUD. Beginning with the next reporting cycle, our HUD Consultant will be responsible for preparing the monthly HAP Voucher and assembling all supporting documentation. Once prepared, the voucher package will be forwarded to the Contract Accountant for an independent review. The Contract Accountant will verify the accuracy and completeness of the voucher, including agreement to tenant ledgers, mathematical accuracy, proper application of subsidy rules, and consistency with prior month activity. This review will be documented through a dated signature on the voucher cover sheet, establishing a clear audit trail and ensuring appropriate segregation of duties between preparation and review. This control will be incorporated into the monthly close process and performed consistently going forward to ensure accurate, compliant, and fully supported HAP Voucher submissions.