Work with the prime award recipients that had subaward reporting deficiencies to ensure that their subaward information is reported or reported accurately.

Update and expand the guidance provided to prime award recipients by (1) updating program website(s) with comprehensive information about FFATA, (2) implementing training, (3) issuing formal communication, and (4) implementing a feedback mechanism to ensure that all prime award recipients have the opportunity to share challenges with HUD and ask questions.

Integrate FFATA reporting requirements into the program monitoring procedures for all programs and conduct regular reviews to assess compliance.

Update applicable requirements to require assisted property owners, including PHAs, to maintain adequate documentation to support their determinations that maintenance and hazard reduction activities that disturb surfaces with lead-based paint qualify for the de minimis exemption from the lead-safe work practices under the Lead Safe Housing Rule.

Status

To address this recommendation, OLHCHH agreed to:

• Issue a notice to assisted target housing owners and public housing agencies on the de minimis exception citing the correct application of the de minimis threshold; describing appropriate documentation methods for the application of the de minimis threshold; and recommendations of best practices for documenting applications.
• Collect additional data regarding the use of the de minimis threshold, including information on how private and public housing owners: (a) determine how much paint in target housing will be disturbed during a maintenance or rehabilitation project; (b) use the paint disturbance area information; (c) monitor the amount of paint disturbed in projects that are designed to disturb de minimis amounts of paint in target housing.
• Design and conduct webinars, including at least one for each program office’s major categories of stakeholders on requirements and best practices pertaining to the de minimis exception under the Lead Safe Housing Rule and its implementation; record the webinars on the HUD website (e.g., on HUD Exchange) for future viewing by stakeholders; and conduct outreach promoting the webinars

The Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes had drafted guidance on the de minimis exception to the Lead Safe Housing Rule for PIH, Multifamily Housing, and CPD and submitted it through the clearance process on September 26, 2024, with an October 9, 2024, due date. Through October 17, six concurring comments were received as was one non-concurring comment. The OLHCHH continues to revise the draft guidance in consideration of the comments. In May 2023, HUD published a final rule establishing a new approach to defining and assessing housing quality: The National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate. Public Housing regulations were amended, and Public Housing program participants were required to comply with this final rule and use the NSPIRE standards starting July 1, 2023. The Real Estate Assessment Center and Office of Field Operations will collaborate with the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, the Office of Policy Development and Research, and a statistician to evaluate data collected under the NSPIRE inspection program to estimate the number of public housing developments and associated units that contain lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards. As of November 2024, PIH reported that inspections have had a slow start due to procurement delays. Additionally, the NSPIRE system did not get the requested functionality to collect lead inspections. The final action target date is March 31, 2025.

Analysis

To implement this recommendation, HUD needs to provide evidence that it has implemented the three actions OLHCHH agreed to complete.

Implementation of this recommendation and associated corrective actions will ensure assisted property owners are sufficiently informed regarding the requirements to support their determinations that maintenance and hazard reduction activities that disturb surfaces with lead-based paint qualify for the de minimis exemption from the lead-safe work practices under the Lead Safe Housing Rule and that assisted property owners are conducting this work safely, thereby ensuring households are residing in safe and healthy HUD-assisted housing.

Support that healthy homes assessment and data collection services were cost reasonable or reimburse its Program $361,850 from non-Federal funds.

Support that landlords gave preference in renting eight vacant units to families with children under 6 years of age or reimburse its Program $112,917 from non-Federal funds for the lead-based paint hazard control activities completed at these assisted units.

Support that lead-based paint hazard control activities were necessary at 19 assisted units or reimburse its Program $70,266 from non-Federal funds for the unsupported lead-based paint hazard control activities completed at these assisted units

Coordinate with HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to determine whether $51,930 in healthy homes supplemental funds used for four units in excess of $5,000 per unit was for eligible activities. If the activities are deemed ineligible, the Department should reimburse its Program the appropriate amount from non-Federal funds.

Support that one household residing in an assisted unit was income eligible or reimburse its Program $19,500 from non-Federal funds for the lead-based paint hazard control activities completed in the assisted unit.

Implement adequate procedures and controls to ensure that (1) documentation is maintained to support that contracted services are cost reasonable, (2) landlords give preference in renting assisted vacant units to families with children under 6 years of age, (3) lead inspection documentation properly supports lead-based paint hazard control activities, (4) HUD approval is obtained when more than $5,000 per unit in healthy homes supplemental funds is budgeted to assist units, and (5) its staff is fully knowledgeable of the Program requirements.

Review the one identified retained inactive obligation with a remaining balance totaling $60,395 and deobligate amounts that are no longer valid or needed.

Support that grant administration services paid were cost reasonable or reimburse its Program $387,443 from non-Federal funds.

Reimburse its Program $102,069 from non-Federal funds for the duplicate payments made to its subcontractor for lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities.

Coordinate with HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to determine whether $88,258 in Program funds ($77,597 $10,661) may be drawn down and used to reimburse its subcontractor if the lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities are determined to be eligible.

Determine whether the subcontractor is owed payment for 21 units, which the Department’s records showed were assisted under the Program but were not identified as assisted units according to documentation maintained by the Department to support its drawdowns from HUD’s LOCCS. If the Department determines that the subcontractor is owed payment for the lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities, it should provide support that the lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities were eligible and that the subcontractor was not reimbursed for these activities from non-Program funds. If these conditions have been met, the Department should reimburse the subcontractor from Program funds.

Determine whether appropriate reimbursements were made to the subcontractor for the remaining 166 assisted units that were not a part of our review. If the Department determines that appropriate reimbursements were not made, it should provide support that the lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities are Program eligible and the subcontractor was not reimbursed for these activities from non-Program funds. If these conditions have been met, the Department should reimburse the subcontractor from Program funds.

Support that the four households residing in assisted units were income eligible or reimburse its Program $59,883 from non-Federal funds for the lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities completed in the assisted units.

Support that landlords gave preference in renting six vacant units to families with children under 6 years of age or reimburse its Program $41,240 from non-Federal funds for the lead-based paint and other health hazard control activities completed at these assisted units.

Support that lead-based paint hazard control activities were necessary at 13 assisted units or reimburse its Program $23,857 from non-Federal funds for the unsupported lead-based paint hazard control activities completed at these assisted units.

Reimburse its Program $2,900 from non-Federal funds for the two units in which the seven windows were not installed.