Finding 1241782 (2026-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
EN
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2026
Accepted
2026-11-06
Audit: 415777
Organization: Dima Viii, Inc. (DE)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Project lacks a formalized compliance monitoring process, leading to significant internal control weaknesses over financial reporting and compliance.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with eligibility and special tests under federal guidelines is not being effectively monitored, risking undetected errors and noncompliance.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should implement a documented compliance monitoring process, including defined roles, routine supervisory reviews, and retention of evidence for HUD certifications.

Finding Text

Finding 2026-001: Lack of Formalized Compliance Monitoring and Documented Management Oversight Federal Program: Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (Section 811), Assistance Listing 14.181, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Capital Advance No. 032-HD019 and PRAC No. DE26Q981001; year ended March 31, 2026 Compliance Requirements: Eligibility; Special Tests and Provisions Type of Finding: Material weakness in internal control over financial reporting and material weakness in internal control over compliance Repeat Finding: Yes, repeat of Finding 2025-001 Criteria: Government Auditing Standards, the Uniform Guidance, and the terms of the Project’s major federal program require the Project to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and over compliance with its applicable program requirements. Effective internal control includes maintaining documented policies and procedures for monitoring compliance, routine supervisory review of accounting and compliance-related activities, and documentation sufficient to demonstrate that this oversight is occurring. Condition: The Project has not established a formalized compliance monitoring process. We were unable to identify documented evidence of routine supervisory review of accounting and compliance-related activities. Compliance processes and monitoring remain informal and are frequently undocumented. Material audit adjustments were required that management’s controls did not detect. In addition, compliance activities related to the PRAC renewal, tenant certifications, replacement reserve deposits, and use of Project funds were not effectively monitored, as described in more detail in Findings 2026-002, 2026-003, and 2026-004. The Project also received a failing score on its March 31, 2026 HUD physical inspection. Management subsequently certified to HUD that the identified deficiencies had been corrected, but complete documentation supporting the corrective work was not available for our review, and HUD’s inspection system continued to report certain life-threatening deficiencies as unmitigated, as described in Note 10 to the financial statements. Context: The condition affects the Project’s accounting and compliance functions as a whole and was identified through our tests of controls, substantive procedures, and compliance testing. Cause: The Project’s compliance functions historically relied on the institutional knowledge and experience of long-tenured staff rather than on functioning internal controls. In recent years, the Project’s management agent has experienced significant personnel turnover, exacerbating this deficiency. Effect: Without documented compliance monitoring, errors or instances of noncompliance could occur and remain undetected. During the current year, these conditions contributed to material audit adjustments and to the noncompliance reported in Findings 2026-002, 2026-003, and 2026-004. These circumstances also limit the Project’s ability to demonstrate compliance to external parties. Questioned Costs: None Recommendations: Management should establish a documented compliance monitoring process, including defined roles and responsibilities, routine supervisory review with documentary evidence, periodic reconciliation of subsidiary records to the general ledger, a periodic compliance checklist addressing the key requirements of the Project’s major program, and retention of evidence supporting all certifications submitted to HUD. Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with this finding. We are working to formalize our compliance procedures and to document supervisory review activities going forward. Note: Findings 2026-002, 2026-003, and 2026-004, which are also required to be reported as noncompliance under Government Auditing Standards, are presented in Section III.

Corrective Action Plan

1. Finding 2026-001: Lack of Formalized Compliance Monitoring and Documented Management Oversight a. Comments on the Finding and Each Recommendation: We acknowledge the condition identified. Historically, certain compliance oversight activities relied heavily on our staff’s operational knowledge and informal review procedures that were not consistently documented. Following organizational restructuring and personnel transitions, management has begun a broader effort to formalize and strengthen compliance monitoring, supervisory review procedures, and documentation practices across our housing portfolio. b. Action(s) Taken or Planned on the Finding: 1. Monthly Compliance and Financial Oversight Meetings: We are establishing recurring monthly oversight meetings with executive leadership, finance, and housing management personnel to review financial reporting, reserve activity, compliance requirements, tenant-related matters, and operational performance. We plan to document these meetings and retain evidence of supervisory review as part of our compliance monitoring procedures. 2. Expanded Finance and Compliance Oversight Structure: We have added a Director of Housing and Compliance responsible for operational and regulatory compliance oversight and have contracted an Interim CFO who is a licensed CPA. We plan to continue refining roles and further segregating responsibilities among the accounting, compliance, and operational functions to strengthen internal controls and management review. 3. Formalized Compliance Monitoring Procedures: We are developing standardized compliance monitoring procedures, including monthly reserve deposit tracking, supervisory review checklists, documented financial statement review procedures, reconciliation monitoring, and periodic compliance checklists addressing key HUD program requirements. 4. Ongoing Monitoring and Documentation Retention: We will strengthen documentation retention procedures so that evidence of compliance monitoring, supervisory review, and reconciliation activities, as well as support for all certifications submitted to HUD, is consistently maintained and available for future audits and regulatory reviews. c. Anticipated Completion Date: Full implementation is expected to be completed and documented by March 31, 2027.

Categories

HUD Housing Programs Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Special Tests & Provisions

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1241783 2026-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1241784 2026-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1241785 2026-004
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.181 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES $120,496