Finding 519415 (2024-005)

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

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Two tenant affidavits for rental assistance lacked signatures from housing specialists, indicating a gap in review procedures.
  • Impacted Requirements: The City must establish effective internal controls to ensure compliance with Federal regulations regarding tenant eligibility.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a policy for supervisor reviews of tenant evaluations before creating or renewing HAP contracts to ensure proper documentation.

Finding Text

Department of Housing and Urban Development 14.871 Housing Voucher Cluster Internal Control Finding - Eligibility Repeat Finding: No Criteria: In accordance with 2 CFR §200.303: The non-Federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal controls over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The PHA must have sufficient internal controls in place to ensure the proper administration of HUD funding. Condition and Context: We tested a sample of 25 HAP contracts and found 2 tenants where the tenant affidavit for rental assistance benefits was not signed by a housing specialist. Therefore, these two selections did not have evidence that the tenant information was reviewed. Cause: The City does not have a proper policy in place to ensure documentation of review procedures. Effect or Potential Effect: The City could potentially create a HAP contract with a tenant that is ineligible for rental assistance. Questioned Costs: Unknown. Recommendation: We recommend that tenant evaluations and annual re-evaluations are reviewed by a supervisor prior to creating a HAP contract or renewing an existing contract to ensure tenant files are properly reviewed and documented. Views of Responsible Officials: The City agrees with the finding. See Section V for the corrective action plan.

Categories

Eligibility HUD Housing Programs Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

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