Provide additional guidance to their grantees and strengthen controls to ensure that tier two environmental reviews are performed and properly conducted and signed by the responsible entity before committing program funds.
2019-BO-1003 | August 05, 2019
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Did Not Always Ensure That Its Grantees Complied With Applicable State and Federal Laws and Requirements
Community Planning and Development
- Status2019-BO-1003-001-COpenClosed
- Status2019-BO-1003-001-DOpenClosed$401,870Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support $401,870 for contracts that were awarded without an independent cost estimate or repay from non-Federal funds any amount that cannot be supported.
- Status2019-BO-1003-001-EOpenClosed
Provide additional guidance to their grantees and strengthen controls over procurement to ensure that grantees follow applicable State and Federal procurement requirements, including obtaining independent cost estimates and ensuring full and open competition.
- Status2019-BO-1003-001-FOpenClosed
Define which expenses should be considered program delivery costs and strengthen controls over program costs to ensure that costs are properly charged.
2019-FW-1005 | July 11, 2019
Northlake Homeless Coalition, Mandeville, LA, Did Not Always Follow Continuum of Care Program Requirements
Community Planning and Development
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-AOpenClosed$2,092,545Funds Put to Better Use
Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to develop and implement a HUD-approved written plan and procedures and take actions that will correct and prevent the monitoring deficiencies in the finding, improve program administration effectiveness, and ensure compliance with HUD regulations and its own policies and procedures as required. This plan and written procedures should include controls to ensure that Northlake complies with HUD’s and its own requirements for monitoring recipients annually as well as documenting and maintaining the monitoring results. Implementing this recommendation should ensure that the $2,092,545 in HUD funds, allocated to Northlake’s four partners for program execution, is better used.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-BOpenClosed$83,658Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to support $81,013 or repay its program from non-Federal funds for disbursements made without adequate supporting documentation.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-COpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to develop and implement additional policies and controls and procedures, including but not limited to a disbursement file checklist, to ensure that adequate supporting documentation for disbursement is maintained in the files.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-DOpenClosed$95,358Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to support $47,679 or repay its program from non-Federal funds for payments made to contractors without written contracts and independent cost estimates.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-EOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to develop and implement written policies and procedures, which reflect the required HUD procurement policy standards and ensure compliance with those requirements.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-FOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to develop and implement written policies and procedures to ensure that its board members execute the proper forms annually, hold and document board meetings, and review its board governance and HMIS governance charters as required.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-GOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to evaluate its staffing level and determine if it should hire additional staff to carry out program activities.
- Status2019-FW-1005-001-HOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require Northlake to obtain technical assistance from HUD to evaluate the staff’s training needs and to ensure that responsible staff receives the appropriate training for effective program administration.
2019-FW-1004 | June 17, 2019
The City of Dallas, Dallas, TX, Did Not Follow Environmental Requirements or Effectively Manage Its Community Housing Development Organizations
Community Planning and Development
- Status2019-FW-1004-001-AOpenClosed$2,451,097Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to repay $2,398,872 from non-Federal funds to the City’s HOME program for funds committed to projects before the completion of an environmental review or HUD approval.
- Status2019-FW-1004-001-BOpenClosed$424,325Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to support or repay $424,325 from non-Federal funds to the City’s HOME program for funds committed without documentation of an environmental review.
- Status2019-FW-1004-001-COpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to comply with HOME’s environmental requirements, including required restrictive contract language, and maintaining documentation of environmental reviews.
- Status2019-FW-1004-002-AOpenClosed$1,959,913Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to support or repay $1,959,913 from non-Federal funds to the City’s Community Development Block Grant program for funds expended for Serenity Place Apartments because the City cannot locate any of the project files.
- Status2019-FW-1004-002-BOpenClosed$1,676,716Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to support or repay $1,402,875 from non-Federal funds to the City’s HOME program for CHDO draws paid with no supporting documentation.
- Status2019-FW-1004-002-COpenClosed$180,051Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to support or repay $80,842 in program income from non-Federal funds to the City’s HOME program.
- Status2019-FW-1004-002-DOpenClosed$105Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A) resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B) that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost); or (C) that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to repay $105 in ineligible costs from non-Federal funds to the City’s HOME program.
- Status2019-FW-1004-002-EOpenClosed
We recommend that the Director of the Fort Worth Office of Community Planning and Development require the City to strengthen and comply with its underwriting and project evaluation policies and procedures, including ensuring that when it signs and commits funds, project construction can begin within 12 months.