Finding 519407 (2024-002)

-
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-01-16
Audit: 338355
Organization: City of Westminster, Maryland (MD)
Auditor: Sb & Company LLC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City failed to correct life-threatening Housing Quality Standards (HQS) deficiencies within the required 24-hour timeframe.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with HUD's HQS Enforcement guidelines due to lack of documentation for approved extensions.
  • Recommended Follow-up: Implement a policy to ensure proper documentation of HQS deficiency correction extensions in tenant files.

Finding Text

Department of Housing and Urban Development 14.871 Housing Voucher Cluster Non-compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Enforcement Requirement Repeat Findings: No Criteria: For units under Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract that fail to meet HQS, the Public Housing Agency (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 (24 CFR sections 982.158(d) and 982.404). Condition and Context: We tested a sample of 25 HAP contracts and found 2 tenants where a life threatening HQS deficiency was not corrected within 24 hours of the inspection. The City’s Housing Authority had approved an extension for the issue to be corrected, but no documentation of this extension was kept in the tenant file. Cause: The City does not have a consistent process to document extensions for HQS deficiencies. Effect or Potential Effect: The City would fail to comply with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HQS Enforcement guidelines. Questioned Costs: Unknown. Recommendation: We recommend that the City implement a policy to properly document HQS deficiency correction extensions within the tenant files. Views of Responsible Officials: The City agrees with the finding. See Section V for the corrective action plan.

Corrective Action Plan

The City's Housing Department has reviewed its policy on Housing Quality Standards (HQS) deficiencies and extensions for correction of identified deficiencies and has made procedural adjustments to ensure that any deficiency correction extension is included in the participant file.

Categories

HUD Housing Programs

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $2.68M
14.871 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers $206,795
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $56,903
16.607 Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program $5,417