Finding Text
Emergency Rental Assistance Program, United States Department of the Treasury Federal Assistance listing #21.023. Condition: Four of forty applicants tested for eligibility had errors. Three individuals were identified as having been awarded the incorrect assistance amount, which resulted in a net underpayment of $60. One applicants? file did not contain sufficient documentation for income verification. Criteria: The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) frequently asked questions (FAQs) published August 25, 2021 specifies guidance regarding the requirements of the Emergency Rental Assistance program (ERA1) established by section 501 of Division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020). This guidance established income verification and rent amount determination procedures as follows: Income Verification - Household Monthly Gross Income (before any deductions) must be calculated based on income from all household members. Available Assistance and Payment Process - Eligible households may receive financial assistance for prospective rent payments for additional months: subject to the availability of remaining funds currently allocated to the eligible grantee, and based on a subsequent application for additional financial assistance provided that the total months of financial assistance provided to the household do not exceed the total months of assistance allowed under the Federal and State regulations. Cause: The influx of new funding and programs caused the Authority's staff to be overwhelmed and therefore occasionally use incorrect information in performing the calculation of the rental assistance payment. Ultimately, the cause is rooted in the lack of proper internal review of the assistance payment performed by the program caseworkers. Effect: This error could cause grant funds to be misappropriated and or misallocated based on inaccurate information which could result in loss of funding. Recommendation: Management should provide additional training to its staff over eligibility procedures, including proper documentation retention and income verification, and implement a review process. This will ensure applicants are input timely into the Authority?s management system according to established policies and procedures.