Finding Text
2025 – 002: Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Enforcement Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Name: Housing Choice Voucher Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 14.871, 14.879 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: WI183VO- 2024 Award Period: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 Type of Finding: - Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance - Other Matters Criteria or specific requirement: For units under HAP contract that fail to meet (Housing Quality Standards (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. The owner is not responsible for a breach of HQS as a result of the family’s failure to pay for utilities for which the family is responsible under the lease or for tenant damage. For family-caused defects, if the family does not correct the cited HQS deficiencies within the specified correction period, the PHA must take prompt and vigorous action to enforce the family obligations (24 CFR sections 982.158(d) and 982.404). Condition: During our testing, we noted the Authority failed to comply with the requirements of the HQS enforcement as stated in the criteria section of this finding. Questioned Costs: None Context: From a sample of seventeen (17) program participant files selected for testing, we noted two (2) instances where the repairs were not completed within 30 days and one (1) instances where life threating repairs were not completed within 24 HRs in accordance with the stated criteria and the HAP was not held. Cause: The Authority's system of internal controls included in the policies and procedures failed to identify the noncompliance as described in the condition section of this finding. Effect: The failure of the internal controls has resulted in noncompliance with the stated criteria. Repeat Finding: Yes; 2024-004 Recommendation: We recommend that the Authority review its system of internal control related to the policies and procedures in place to mitigate the risk of noncompliance with the requirements of the stated criteria. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.