Finding No.: 2025-014 Identification of Federal Program: Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) AL Program: 14.850 Public Housing Operating Fund Federal Award No.: GQ00100000125D, GQ00100000225D, GQ00100000325D, GQ00100000425D Area: Eligibility Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation): 24 CFR 5.905(a)(1) states: A PHA that administers a Section 8 or public housing program under an Annual Contributions Contract with HUD must carry out background checks necessary to determine whether a member of a household applying for admission to any federally assisted housing program is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement under a State sex offender registration program. This check must be carried out with respect to the State in which the housing is located and with respect to States where members of the applicant household are known to have resided. Section 9 I.E, Other Considerations – Criminal Background Checks, of GHURA Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) states: Each household member age 18 and over will be required to execute a consent form for a criminal background check as part of the annual reexamination process. Additionally, HUD recommends that at annual reexaminations PHAs ask whether the tenant, or any member of the tenant’s household, is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement in any state [Notice PIH 2012-28]. At the annual reexamination, the PHA will ask whether the tenant, or any member of the tenant’s household, is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement in any state. The PHA will use the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender database to verify the information provided by the tenant. Finding No.: 2025-014, continued Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation), continued: Section 3‑II.E, EIV System Searches – EIV Income Report of GHURA Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) states: For each new admission, the PHA is required to review income information in EIV to confirm and validate family reported income within 120 days after the move-in information is transmitted to HUD. The PHA must print and maintain copies of the reports in the tenant file and resolve any discrepancies with the family EIV Income Report. Section 7-I.E. Level 5 and 6 Verifications: Up-Front Income Verification (UIV) of GHURA Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) states: PHAs are required to obtain an EIV Income report for each family anytime the PHA conducts an annual reexamination. However, PHAs are not required to use the EIV Income report: • At annual reexamination if the PHA used Safe Harbor verification from another means-test federal assistance program to determine the family’s income; or • During any interim reexaminations. The EIV Income Report is also not available for program applicants at admission. When required to use the EIV Income Report, in order for the report to be considered current, the PHA must pull the report within 120 days of the effective date of the annual reexamination. 24 CFR 5.618(b), Acceptable documentation; confidentiality, states: (i) A PHA or owner may determine the net assets of a family based on a certification by the family that the net family assets (as defined in § 5.603) do not exceed $50,000, which amount will be adjusted annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, without taking additional steps to verify the accuracy of the declaration. The declaration must state the amount of income the family expects to receive from such assets; this amount must be included in the family's income. (ii) A PHA or owner may determine compliance with paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section based on a certification by a family that certifies that such family does not have any present ownership interest in any real property at the time of the income determination or review. Finding No.: 2025-014, continued Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation), continued: Section 7 I.F. of GHURA’s Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) states: When HUD requires third-party verification, self-certification, or “tenant declaration,” is used as a last resort when the PHA is unable to obtain third-party verification. Self-certification, however, is an acceptable form of verification when: 1. A source of income is fully excluded 2. Net family assets total $5,000 or less and the PHA has adopted a policy to accept self-certification at annual recertification, when applicable 3. The PHA has adopted a policy to implement streamlined annual recertifications for fixed sources of income 24 CFR 5.508(b)(2-3), Evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status, states: For noncitizens who are 62 years of age or older or who will be 62 years of age or older and receiving assistance under a Section 214 covered program on September 30, 1996 or applying for assistance on or after that date, the evidence consists of: (i) A signed declaration of eligible immigration status; and (ii) Proof of age document For all other noncitizens, the evidence consists of: (i) A signed declaration of eligible immigration status; (ii) One of the INS documents referred to in § 5.510; and (iii) A signed verification consent form. 24 CFR 960.259(c)(1), PHA responsibility for reexamination and verification, states: Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the PHA must obtain and document in the family file third-party verification of the following factors, or must document in the file why third-party verification was not available: (i) Reported family annual income; (ii) The value of assets; (iii) Expenses related to deductions from annual income; and (iv) Other factors that affect the determination of adjusted income or income-based rent 24 CFR 960.253(b) requires Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to accurately calculate tenant rent by applying the appropriate rent formula based on verified family income and ensuring the tenant’s rent share is correctly determined in accordance with HUD requirements. Finding No.: 2025-014, continued Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation), continued: 24 CFR 908.101 requires PHAs to maintain complete, accurate, and current records to comply with HUD requirements. Specifically, PHAs must retain complete and accurate data for the most recent three years, including the HUD 50058 (Family Report) and all supporting documentation. 2 CFR 200.303 requires the implementation and monitoring of effective internal controls to provide reasonable assurance that data reported to HUD is accurate, complete, and compliant with Federal requirements. Condition: For thirteen (33%) of forty participants tested, deficiencies were noted, as follows: Item No. Unit Certification Effective Date Criminal History/Sex Offender Registry Search Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) Report Date Other Required PHA Forms Variance (HUD-50058 - Tenant Register) Utility Allowance Variance (HUD-50058 - Register) 1 ALC 05/01/25 Not in file - - - - 2 LTJ 02/01/25 Not in file - - - - 3 EM 09/01/25 10/18/25 - - - - 4 GMM 05/22/25 - 03/19/26 - - - 5 MJA 10/16/24 - 05/30/25 - - - 6 POD 08/27/25 - Not In File - - - 7 SS 08/01/25 - - D-214 Form - - 8 SB 11/01/24 - 09/03/24 D-214 Form - - 9 KL 04/01/25 - 12/10/24 - - - 10 YR 06/01/24 - 05/04/24 - - - 11 SJL 07/01/25 - 04/04/25 - 36 - 12 GJA 07/01/25 - 03/11/25 - (151) 151 13 RJ 04/01/25 Not signed Not signed Self-certification of Assets 49 (210) Finding No.: 2025-014, continued Condition, continued: For item #s 1 and 2, no documentation was on file (e.g. sexual registry clearance form) to support if the PHA verified for lifetime sex offender registration requirements. For item # 3, eligibility determinations were not adequately supported, as the required sex offender checks was not conducted at annual reexamination. For item # 13, the sexual registry clearance form was not certified by the PHA, resulting in insufficient support for eligibility determination. For item #s 4 and 5, the newly admitted participants’ Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) report used to support income eligibility was not processed within 120 days after move in. For item # 6, no documentation was on file to support that the PHA processed the participant’s EIV report. For item # 13, the participant’s EIV report was not certified by the PHA, resulting in insufficient support for income eligibility determination. For item #s 7 and 13, documentation indicating verification of assets (e.g. self-certification forms, tenant declaration, and third-party bank statements) were not on file to support eligibility determination. For item #s 8 and 9, no documentation (e.g. declaration of eligible immigration status form) was on file to support whether non-citizen household members are eligible to receive housing assistance. For item #s 10 through 13, discrepancies which affect eligibility determination and assistance amounts were identified. For item # 10, the tenant rent amount that was agreed to and documented in the lease agreement was lower than the amount calculated by the PHA before annual recertification. For item #s 11 through 13, independently calculated tenant rent and utility allowance amounts differed from the amounts recorded in the PHA’s system and received by participants. Finding No.: 2025-014, continued Condition, continued: For item # 13, the participant’s verified income was understated by the PHA when determining eligibility and calculating housing assistance amounts. Cause: GHURA did not effectively implement monitoring controls to ensure compliance with applicable eligibility requirements. Effect or potential effect: GHURA is in noncompliance with applicable eligibility requirements. Questioned costs: $0 Identification as a repeat finding: Not applicable. Recommendation: Responsible personnel should enforce monitoring controls over compliance with applicable eligibility requirements. Specifically, procedures should be enforced requiring staff to obtain and properly document all required verification documentation prior to the recertification of benefits. In addition, supervisory personnel should perform periodic reviews to verify that these procedures are consistently followed and that all required verification activities have been completed and properly documented. Views of Responsible Officials: Management partially concurs with the finding. Refer to Management’s position as outlined in the Corrective Action Plan. Conclusion: Management submitted additional information on June 28, 2026; however, due to time constraints, we were unable to sufficiently corroborate and evaluate the documentation provided. Accordingly, the finding remains, as there was insufficient evidence to support a determination of compliance as of the audit date.