Semiannual Report to Congress
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress April 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009 Profile of Performance Audit profile of performance for the period April 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009 Results This reporting period FY 09 totals Recommendations that funds be put to better use $309,937,713 $1,948,438,436 Recommended questioned costs $260,482,674 $371,368,053 Collections from audits $21,658,252 $165,766,317 Administrative sanctions 5 10 Investigation profile of performance for the period April 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009 Results This reporting period FY 09 totals Funds put to better use $43,794,874 $116,438,222 Recoveries/receivables $128,569,489 $219,778,868 Indictments/informations 621 1,182 Convictions/pleas/pretrial diversions 433 847 Civil actions 40 92 Administrative sanctions 402 1,018 Personnel actions1 48 82 Arrests2 783 1,554 Search warrants 61 136 Subpoenas issued 502 1,031 Hotline profile of performance for the period April 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009 Results This reporting period FY 09 totals Funds put to better use $1,904,439 $4,370,166 Recoveries/receivables $132,624 $506,649 1 Personnel actions include reprimands, suspensions, demotions, or terminations of the employees of Federal, State, or local governments or of Federal contractors and grantees, as the result of Office of Inspector General (OIG) activities. In addition, this reporting category includes actions by Federal agencies to suspend, debar, or exclude parties from contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial or nonfinancial transactions with the government, based on findings produced by OIG. 2 Included in the arrests is our focus on the nationwide Fugitive Felon Initiative. Inspector General Message The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG), is proud to present its Semiannual Report to the Congress for the second half of fiscal year 2009. HUD OIG employees–auditors, agents, attorneys, and support staff–maintain a spirit of commitment in their mission on behalf of the taxpayers of the United States. We remain immersed in the operations of the Department, specifically activities affecting the housing industry. The effective implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and safeguarding these funds is our daily thrust as demonstrated by more than a score of audits of communities with a questionable capacity to administer or expend these funds. We continue to be leaders in investigating mortgage fraud. We have been invited to take a leading role in the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force organized by the U.S. Department of Justice. Our accomplishments have continued unabated. During this reporting period, we had $355.6 million in funds put to better use, questioned costs of $260.4 million, and $150.4 million in recoveries and receivables, while closing 564 investigative cases and issuing 130 audits. This exceptional work has had an impact on fraud and the misuse of taxpayer dollars, and it is with gratitude that I acknowledge the HUD OIG staff who worked so hard to achieve these results and their associated deterrent effect. Our high-profile audits and investigations have once again paralleled the Department’s strategic initiatives with particular concern for the health of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) mortgage insurance fund. HUD OIG staff continues to work with the Department to improve its effectiveness and as a result, has developed and implemented better and more effective audit recommendations. Our audit of the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration is a good example of our ARRA oversight, shining a light on its mismanagement of its Capital Fund Financing Program. Two other important audits–of the Housing Authotity of New Orleans and the Texas Disaster Recovery Plan–demonstrate our continued attentiveness to the billions appropriated for hurricane disaster relief in the Gulf States. During this period, we also focused on registered sex offenders receiving Section 8 rent subsidies and recommended that HUD seek legislative and program rule changes to require denial of continued occupancy and termination of tenancy for all lifetime registered sex offenders residing in subsidized housing. We are deeply immersed in fighting fraud and systemic problems within the mortgage industry. I have testified to Congress about potential fraud, and we are working diligently with congressional staff on legislation to tighten laws to protect the FHA and borrowers. None of these important accomplishments would have been possible without the extraordinary staff of HUD OIG, and for them I am truly thankful. Kenneth M. Donohue Inspector General Inspector General Message v Audit reports issued by program Single-family housing, 11% Multifamily housing, 7% Public and Indian housing, 36% Community planning and development, 35% Other programs, 11% Monetary benefits identified by program Single-family housing, 3% Multifamily housing, 1% Public and Indian housing, 53% Community planning and development, 43% Other programs, 0% Monetary benefits identified in millions of dollars $350 $301.1 $300 $243.5 $250 $200 $150 $100 $18.4 $50 $7.4 $0.0 $0 Single-family Multifamily Public and Community Other housing housing Indian housing planning and programs development Audit Charts vii Investigative cases opened by program area (total: 480) Single-family housing, 31% (151) Public and Indian housing, 40% (191) Multifamily housing, 9% (42) Community planning and development, 14% (69) Other, 6% (27) Investigative recoveries by program area (total: $128,569,489) Single-family housing, 85% ($108,835,794) Public and Indian housing, 8% ($10,416,272) Multifamily housing, 1% ($1,709,466) Community planning and development, 6% ($7,585,696) Other, 0% ($22,261) viii Investigation Charts Acronyms List ACA Asset Control Area AFGE American Federation of Government Employees AIGA Assistant Inspector General for Audit AIGI Assistant Inspector General for Investigation ARIGA Assistant Regional Inspector General for Audit ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ASAC Assistant Special Agent in Charge CDBG Community Development Block Grant CDBG-R Community Development Block Grant Recovery CPD Office of Community Planning and Development DHAP Disaster Housing Assistance Program DHS U.S. Department of Homeland Security DOJ U.S. Department of Justice DRGR Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting system EIV Enterprise Income Verification FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FFI Fugitive Felon Initiative FFMIA Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 FHA Federal Housing Administration FHAP Fair Housing Assistance Program FHEO Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity FISMA Federal Information Security Management Act FERA front-end risk assessment FSS Family Self-Sufficiency FY fiscal year GAO U.S. Government Accountability Office Ginnie Mae Government National Mortgage Association GPRA Government Performance Results Act HECM Home equity conversion mortgage HERA Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 HOME HOME Investment Partnerships Program HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development IAA interagency agreement IDIS Integrated Disbursement and Information System IG Inspector General Acronyms List ix IOI Identity of interest IRS Internal Revenue Service IT information technology NAHASDA Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 NAHRO National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials NCDF National Center for Disaster Fraud NSP Neighborhood Stabilization Program OA Office of Audit OHHLHC Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control OI Office of Investigation OIG Office of Inspector General OMB Office of Management and Budget PFCRA Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act PHA public housing agency PIH Office of Public and Indian Housing RAMPS Recovery Act Management and Reporting System REAP Resource Estimation and Allocation Process RESPA Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act RIGA Regional Inspector General for Audit SA Special Agent SAC Special Agent in Charge SBA Small Business Administration SEMAP Section Eight Management Assessment Program SFA Senior Forensic Auditor SHP Supportive Housing Program SSA Senior Special Agent SSA Social Security Administration SSN Social Security number TEAM Total Estimation and Allocation Mechanism U.S.C. United States Code USMS United States Marshals Service USPS United States Postal Service VA U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs x Acronyms List Table of Contents Executive Highlights 1 Chapter 1 - HUD’s Single Family Housing Programs 7 Audits 8 Investigations 14 Inspections and Evaluations 23 Chapter 2 - HUD’s Public and Indian Housing Programs 25 Audits 26 Investigations 40 Chapter 3 - HUD’s Multifamily Housing Programs 55 Audits 56 Investigations 60 Chapter 4 - HUD’s Community Planning and Development Programs 65 Audits 66 Investigations 76 Inspections and Evaluations 81 Chapter 5 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 83 Introduction and Background 84 Audits 85 Chapter 6 - Disaster Relief Oversight 99 Introduction and Background 100 Audits 101 Investigations 105 Inspections and Evaluations 113 Chapter 7 - Other Significant Audits and Investigations/OIG Hotline 115 Audits 116 Investigations 119 Inspections and Evaluations 120 OIG Hotline 121 Chapter 8 - Outreach Efforts 123 Chapter 9 - Review of Policy Directives 147 Enacted Legislation Related to Single-Family Housing 148 Proposed Rules 148 Chapter 10