Finding 618213 (2022-008)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
LN
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-03-27

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Significant deficiencies in internal controls led to inaccurate and untimely reporting for the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • Impacted Requirements: Reports lacked secondary reviews, supporting documentation, and timely submissions, violating U.S. Treasury reporting guidelines.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a secondary review process and ensure all reports are supported by documentation and submitted on time to comply with federal requirements.

Finding Text

United States Department of the Treasury Reference Number: 2022-008 Program: 21.023 COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Federal Award Number: ERA-2101123208 & ERAE0280 Type of Finding: Noncompliance; Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls over Compliance Compliance Requirement: Reporting & Special Tests and Provisions Condition: The following conditions were found during audit testing of four monthly reports and one quarterly report for ERA 1 and ERA 2: DSHA internal procedures over the reporting did not require a secondary review prior to submission of the reports. 2. Supporting documentation was not retained for information reported on the reports selected for testing. We were unable to reconcile amounts reported on monthly and quarterly reports submitted to the U.S. Treasury to underlying records. Additionally, audit testing found the differences noted below between the reports submitted and records obtained during the audit: a. The ERA 1 report for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, reported program spending and obligations totaling $166,277,794. Actual ERA 1 expenditures through June 30, 2022, totaled approximately $93,350,000. Program obligations were not tracked or reported. b. We found the following differences in Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act reporting on the quarterly reports submitted to the U.S. Treasury: One subrecipient?s TIN number was appeared incorrectly in the subrecipients section of the quarterly report. ii. DSHA could not provide evidence that two program subrecipients were correctly included in the quarterly report. The following U.S. Treasury required reports were not submitted timely: Reports for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 were due on October 29, 2021 and were submitted on December 28, 2021. Reports for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, Were due to the U.S. Treasury on July 15, 2022 and were submitted on August 15, 2022. Criteria: United States Department of the Treasury ERA Program Reporting Guidance version 3.2 was issued March 29, 2022. The following sections of the Reporting guidance contain the key criteria: Pages 10 and 11 detail monthly and quarterly reporting deadlines for the entire period of performance. Page 38 includes the text of the Report Certification and Submission representation that includes the following: ?I certify that the information provided is accurate and complete after reasonable inquiry of people, systems, and other information available to the ERA Recipient. ??. CFR ? 200.303 - Internal controls requires the non-federal entity to establish and maintain effective internal control 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. Questioned Costs: None. Context: . Monthly and Quarterly reports were required to be submitted for both ERA1 and ERA2. Effect: Reports required by the U.S. Treasury were not submitted timely and, accurately, and were not supported by contemporaneously prepared supporting documentation. Information necessary for the U.S. Treasury to calculate the required reallocations was not accurately reported on the quarterly reports submitted.

Categories

Special Tests & Provisions Subrecipient Monitoring Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Period of Performance Reporting Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 41768 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 41769 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 41770 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency
  • 41771 2022-008
    Significant Deficiency
  • 618210 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 618211 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 618212 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.023 Emergency Rental Assistance Program $82.57M
21.019 Coronavirus Relief Fund $7.00M
14.239 Home Investment Partnerships Program $4.29M
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $781,409
14.326 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration (pra Demo) Program of Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities $769,732
14.880 Family Unification Program (fup) $374,880
21.026 Homeowner Assistance Fund $348,035
14.881 Moving to Work Demonstration Program $266,944
14.241 Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids $191,566
14.231 Emergency Solutions Grant Program $116,742
14.275 Housing Trust Fund $37,642
14.327 Performance Based Contract Administrator Program $25,241
14.871 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers $15,200
14.879 Mainstream Vouchers $3,040