Finding Text
2025-001 Participant Signatures Federal Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Programs effected: ALN 14.871 Housing Choice Vouchers and ALN 14.879 Mainstream Vouchers Criteria: Per HUD regulations all adult members of participant households must sign the contracts, releases, and recertifications. The landlords must also sign the contracts. Condition: The Authority lacked proper controls to ensure that the necessary signatures were being obtained during the initial onboarding process nor during the annual or interim re-examinations. Context: Approximately 44% of files selected for testing lacked the proper signatures for the time period covered by the audit. Cause of Condition: The Authority has experienced turnover at the executive and program levels. The new staff and management lacked the proper training to operate the controls. Effect of Condition: Many of the participant files were out of compliance. The files lacked proper documentation that the participants had been informed of their benefits or authorized the release of information. Recommendation: Management should review the control procedures relating to admissions, recertification, and documentation and update them as necessary. Participants and landlords failing to fulfill their roles in the admissions and recertification process should have their participation suspended until they are in compliance. Additionally, all staff performing admissions and recertifications should be retrained on the procedures. Management’s Response: Management will review the admissions, recertification, and documentation procedures to ensure that they comply with HUD regulations. All personnel involved in admissions and recertification will be retrained on the updated procedures.