Finding 2024-003 - Public Housing Internal Control over Waiting list- Eligibility Noncompliance and Significant Deficiency
low Rent Public Housing- Subsidy ALN 14.850
Corrective Action Plan:
As previously mentioned above, the Housing Authority recently transitioned its property management functions from TenMast to Yardi Voyager. During this conversion, we encountered data compatibility issues, including anomalies with waiting list data not included in each applicant's household. Additionally, at the time of the review, we were purging the previous waiting list data that had been converted to Voyager, resulting in the loss or purging of some of the waiting list data.
To address this conversion issue, staff has been instructed to include a note in the resident's file for instances where applicant information and data are missing or may have been lost due to the conversion. We have also recently opened our waiting list using our newly onboarded resident portal. Applicants can now easily apply for available public housing units and track their status using Rent Cafe. With the ability to track applicants in our newly implemented Voyager and Rent Cafe systems, we do not foresee this issue recurring, especially since Yardi provides an audit trail for all applications entered using the software.
Below are some key features for Rent Cafe as part of our application and waiting list process:
1. Online Applications: Prospective tenants can easily apply for available housing units online, streamlining the application process.
2. Resident Portal: Current residents can access a portal to pay rent, submit maintenance requests, and communicate with property management.
3. Real·Time Availability: Users can view real-time availability of units.
4. Tracking and Reporting: Property managers can generate reports and track various aspects of property management, including lease expirations and maintenance requests.
5. Audit Trails: The system provides an audit trail for all applications and transactions, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Person Responsible: Phillip Taylor
Anticipated Completion Date: The corrective action involves implementing an improved process, which is currently ongoing, completed no later than March 31, 2025.