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Finding SA2022-001: Housing Quality Inspections Assistance Listing Number: 14.871 Assistance Listing Title: Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program Name of Federal Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Award Identification Number and Year: CA060VO (2022) Criteria: 24 CFR Section 982 requires recipients of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to inspect housing units for compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS). For units under a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract that fail to meet HQS, the Housing Authority must require the owner to correct deficiencies within a specified period. Normal deficiencies of units should be corrected within thirty days of the initial failed inspection date, unless other circumstances occur. Life threatening deficiencies should be corrected within 24 hours of the initial failed inspection. Furthermore, if the Housing Authority does not verify the correction of the deficiency within sixty days of the failed inspection date, a termination notice for the contract will be issued and the HAP will be terminated. Condition: We tested thirteen failed HQS inspections in fiscal year 2022 and reviewed supporting documents for re-inspections to determine if deficiencies were corrected within the required periods for the units under the Housing Authority?s Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program. During our review, we noted the following four deficiencies: 1. We noted two units that had failed inspections due to non-life threatening (normal) deficiencies on an initial inspection in November 2021. We noted that the Housing Authority had documentation of work orders to correct the units deficiencies in October 2022. However, the Housing Authority was unable to provide inspection documentation due to the fact that the Housing Authority?s legacy software with the documentation is no longer available. During fiscal year 2022, the Housing Authority converted the Housing software to a new program and the data migration did not provide the requested documents. 2. We noted four units that had failed inspections within the timeframe of November 2021 through January 2022. Although the Housing Authority inspection results letters indicated that a reinspection would occur a month later, we noted that the Housing Authority re-inspections were not completed until October 2022 for one unit, January 2023 for one unit and February 2023 for the remaining two units. 3. We noted two units that had failed initial inspections due to non-life threatening (normal) deficiencies on an initial inspection in November 2021 and January 2022, respectively. Although we noted that the Housing Authority worked with the tenants and reinspected the units, we noted that the repairs were not made until October 2022 and November 2022, respectively. We also noted that the Housing Authority did not abate the HAPs for the tenants after the sixty days lapsed from the initial failed inspections. 4. We noted two units that had failed initial inspections due to life threatening deficiencies from deficient smoke detectors, however, the Housing Authority did not maintain documentation that the follow up on the units? deficiencies occurred within 24 hours of the failed initial inspections to ensure the smoke detectors were operable. Effect: The Housing Authority is not in compliance with the requirements set forth by 24 CFR Section 982 regarding HQS inspections. Cause: The Housing Authority?s re-inspection delays discussed above were due to understaffing at the Housing Authority during fiscal year 2022. Furthermore, the Housing Authority converted Housing software during fiscal year 2022. As a result, during the data migration process, certain inspection documents did not transfer into the new Housing software and therefore, the Housing Authority does not have access to certain inspection documents. Questioned Costs: There are no known questioned costs for this finding and any potential questioned costs would be deminimus, based on the number of tenants who participate in the program and the dollar amount of Housing Choice Vouchers for Section 8 during fiscal year 2021-22. Identification As a Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend that the Housing Authority develop procedures to ensure that re-inspections are performed timely and to ensure that life threatening deficiencies are corrected and re-inspected within 24 hours of the failed inspection. We also recommend that the Housing Authority terminate the HAP contract if a unit deficiency is not corrected within sixty days. Furthermore, we recommend that the Housing Authority maintain a system to backup data for documentation of all inspections performed. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Please see Corrective Action Plan separately prepared by the City.