Finding 1219168 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
E
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-06-26

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that tenant files for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers program were missing critical documents, indicating a material weakness in internal controls.
  • Impacted Requirements: The Authority failed to maintain necessary documentation for verifying income eligibility as required by federal regulations (24 CFR sections 5.230, 5.609, and 982.516).
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The Authority should establish and enforce internal control procedures to ensure compliance with documentation requirements and improve oversight of tenant files.

Finding Text

Finding 2025-001 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Titles: Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Federal Assistance Listing Numbers: 14.871 Noncompliance - E. Eligibility - Tenant Files Non Compliance Material to the Financial Statements: Yes Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance for Eligibility Criteria: Tenant Files. The PHA must do the following: As a condition of admission or continued occupancy, require the tenant and other family member to provide necessary information, documentation, and releases for the PHA to verify income eligibility (24 CFR sections 5.230, 5.609, and 982.516). These files are required to be maintained and available for examination at the time of audit. Condition: Based upon inspection of the Authority’s files and on discussion with management, there were documents that were unavailable for examination at the time of audit. Context: There are approximately three hundred forty five (345) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher units. Of a sample size of fifteen (15) tenant files, the following information was unavailable for examination at the time of audit:  Original applications were missing in six (6) files  Citizenship declaration forms were missing in three (3) files  Lead based paint form was missing in one (1) file  Copy of signed lease was missing in three (3) files  Verification of income and assets was missing in two (2) files Our sample size is statistically valid. Known Questioned Costs: Amount is below threshold of $25,000. Cause: There is a material weakness in internal controls over the compliance for the eligibility type of compliance related to the maintenance of tenant files. The Authority has not properly considered, designed, implemented, maintained and monitored a system of internal controls that reasonably assures the program is in compliance. Effect: The Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers program is in material non-compliance with the eligibility type of compliance related to the maintenance of tenant files. Recommendation: We recommend the Authority design and implement internal control procedures that will reasonably assure compliance with the Uniform Guidance and the compliance supplement.

Corrective Action Plan

Authority's Response and Planned Corrective Action: The Authority accepts the recommendation of the auditor. The Authority will increase oversight in the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers program to ensure that established internal control policies are being followed on a timely basis. To that end, in October of 2025, the month after the current Audit period, HHA brought on an outside firm (Nan McKay and Associates) to assure the completeness and correctness of all new admissions and recertification and regulatory file requirements. Our new system includes a quality control review after Nan McKay provides HHA with a completed new admission or recertification file. Marc A. Recko, Executive Director was designated to be responsible for implementing this corrective action by September 30, 2026.

Categories

HUD Housing Programs

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1219169 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1219170 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.850 PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND $7.67M
14.872 PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND $6.16M
14.871 SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS $5.55M
14.269 HURRICANE SANDY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY GRANTS (CDBG-DR) $3.04M
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $319,292
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $114,199