Finding Text
Program: Section 8 Choice Vouchers Requirement: Housing Quality Standards Inspections and enforcement must be done in accordance with HUD requirements. Condition: HQS Inspections were not completed timely and HUD HQS enforcement standards were not followed for tenants that failed HQS re-inspections. Questioned Cost: Not applicable. Context: HQS inspections are required every 24 months. HQS tenant enforcement and/or landlord abatement is required for tenants with failed HQS re-inspections. Effect: HQS inspections, tenant enforcement and abatement are not being done in accordance with HUD requirements. Cause: Sampling was statistically valid and a systemic problem. Prior Year Finding: This is a new finding in 2022. Recommendation: It is recommended that the Redevelopment Authority integrates the appropriate controls to ensure that HQS inspections and re-inspections are completed in accordance with HUD requirements. Furthermore to take prompt action on tenant enforcement and/or landlord abatement for failed re-inspections. Management?s Response: Staff had not recognized the current housing software system was not pulling inspections correctly in the system. Back in 2021, the PHA began performing biennial inspections versus annually. Staff advised our software company of this change but a glitch in the system did not allow for all inspections to be pulled correctly. Staff are currently performing these missed inspections. Additionally, we are transitioning to an upgraded software system where the ?biennial? option will be set up in the system manually by both PHA staff and software system staff and tested during the transition. Moving forward we are abating payments to owners when the units do not pass property inspections in a timely manner. In addition, we have created a tracking system to track daily work tasks to ensure that all failed HQS inspections are followed up on, and abatements occur when necessary. This has been in action since February 2023.