Finding Text
2025-004 Special Tests and Provisions – HQS Enforcement Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 Grant Award No. ND031-Housing Choice Vouchers & ND031-Mainstream Vouchers Grant Award Year 2025 Questioned Costs None. Criteria For units under HAP contract that fail to meet HQS, the PHA must require the owner to correct any life threatening HQS deficiencies within 24 hours after the inspections and all other HQS deficiencies within 30 calendar days or within a specified PHA-approved extension. If the owner does not correct the cited HQS deficiencies within the specified correction period, the PHA must stop (abate) HAPs beginning no later than the first of the month following the specified correction period or must terminate the HAP contract (24 CFR sections 982.158(d) and 982.404). Condition Through a series of samples, it was noted that a bi-annual inspection was not performed on one tested file. We also noted 1 separate instance in which life-threatening deficiencies did not contain documentation noting they were corrected within the 24-hour requirement period. Context We selected 40 tenants to sample out of 370 total for the year. Effect HAP payments could be paid to a tenant where they should not be due to insufficient clearing of HQS inspection deficiencies. Cause Lack of controls and oversight during the year. Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend the Authority review their procedures for performing and documenting HQS inspections and follow-up on fails to ensure Housing Quality Standards are met. Views of Responsible Officials The Authority recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendations.