Finding 2022 ? 005 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Name: Housing Voucher Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 14.871/14.879 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: MO002VO - 2022 Award Period: January 1, 2022 ? December 31, 2022 Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions ? Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Enforcement Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance Material Noncompliance Condition: The Authority did not require HQS deficiencies to be corrected within the required timeframe. The Authority did not abate units that failed to correct HQS deficiencies within the required timeframe. Exceptions were noted in 9 out of 40 failed inspections: The Authority did not require the owner to correct HQS deficiencies within the required timeframe for 2 out of 40 failed inspections. The Authority did not properly abate HAP for 7 out of 40 failed inspections. Cause: The Authority did not reinspect or abate units timely. Auditors Recommendation: Recommend the Authority implements controls to ensure that the Authority requires HQS deficiencies to be corrected within the timeframe set forth by 24 CFR section 982.404(a). Recommend the Authority implements controls to ensure abatement is timely for units that do not correct the cited HQS deficiencies within the required timeframe. Response to Finding 2022-005 The Authority generally concurs with the auditor?s findings and recommendations. The 2022 Audit included the review of 40 files tested for Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Enforcement requirements. Exceptions were noted in nine instances: The Authority did not require the owner to correct HQS deficiencies within the required timeframe for 2 out of 40 failed inspections. The Authority did not properly abate HAP for 7 out of 40 failed inspections. Action Taken: A Corrective Action Plan has been developed to ensure HQS Inspection enforcement is applied at the time of deficiency and if not corrected proper abatement notice being sent out to Landlord and tenant. Implementation began on August 1, 2023. To provide consistency, increase staff knowledge and reduce errors, training will be held immediately and then annually thereafter. In addition, we will increase quality control to monitor letters being sent out to landlords and tenants for the deficiencies that occurred in the unit. The process that will be in place is as follows: 1. Letter sent out to landlord and tenant notifying them the deficiencies in the unit. A time frame of 30 days will be set for the repairs to be made with a re-inspection date already set to verify repairs. 2. If the repairs are not made at that time, an abatement a letter will be sent out to the landlord and tenant notifying them that the HAP payment will stop the first day of the following month which would be a minimum of 30 days. At this time a letter will be sent to the tenant notifying them that a voucher will be issued to them to move to a more suitable unit. 3. If the repairs are not made at the end of the 30-day abatement period the HAP contract will terminate along with the HAP payment. A termination of HAP letter will be sent out to the landlord and tenant for the current unit that the tenant is living in. To monitor the events taking place above, a report will be submitted twice a month before our check run by the supervisor and manager of the inspection department to the HCV Director and Compliance department to monitor the HQS and abatement process. This quality insurance will ensure that all abatements and HQS deficiencies are being processed according to compliance. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Edwin Lowndes Executive Director Planned completion date for corrective action plan: March 1, 2024.