HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF DOUGLAS COUNTYLocal Government

Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 – Significant Deficiency Grant Award No. MN192-Housing Choice Voucher & MN192-Mainstream Voucher Federal Award Year 2025 Criteria The PHA must inspect the unit leased to a family at least biennially to determine if the unit meets Housing Quality Standards (HQS). For units under HAP contract that fail to meet HQS, the PHA must require the owner to correct any life threatening HQS deficiencies within 24 hours after the inspections and all other HQS deficiencies within 30 calendar days or within a specified PHA-approved extension. Condition Through a series of samples, it was noted that a bi-annual inspection was not performed on one tested file. We also noted 2 separate instances in which life-threatening deficiencies did not contain documentation noting they were corrected within the 24-hour requirement period, and an additional instance in which other deficiencies did not contain documentation as to the timing of corrective action. Questioned Costs None Context We tested HQS Enforcement compliance requirements on 23 of the Authority’s 229 tenant files and noted that a bi-annual inspection did not occur in one of the files. In a separate sample over failed inspections, in which 4 of 40 failed inspections were reviewed, we noted 2 contained life-threatening failures that did not contain documentation to support appropriate follow up and correction within 24 hours. Across both samples, there were also instances in which supporting documentation lacked notations of timing to indicate when re-inspections and corrective action took place. Effect Tenants may be living in units that do not meet Housing Quality Standards. Cause Lack of controls and oversight during the year. Repeat Finding Repeat finding of 2024-006. Recommendation We recommend the Authority review their procedures for performing and documenting HQS inspections and follow-up on fails to ensure Housing Quality Standards are met. Views of Responsible Officials Management recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendation.

Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 – Significant Deficiency Grant Award No. MN192-Housing Choice Voucher & MN192-Mainstream Voucher Federal Award Year 2024 Criteria As a condition of admission or continued occupancy, the tenant and other family members must provide necessary information, documentation, and releases for the PHA to verify income eligibility (24 CFR sections 5.230, 5.609, and 982.516). This includes documentation noting eligibility of EHV program requirements. Condition During review of tenant files, we noted the Authority did not maintain proper documentation to support tenant eligibility for EHV participation. Questioned Costs None Context We tested a sample of 22 (including one EHV participant) of the Authority’s 220 tenant files and found that proper documentation was not maintained in one tenant file. Effect HAP payments may be paid to a tenant who is not eligible to receive HAP funds. Cause Lack of appropriate training for the individual responsible for verifying eligibility requirements. Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend the Authority provides appropriate training to staff over eligibility requirements and reviews its internal control procedures to ensure a quality control review is performed to verify all required documentation is maintained in the tenant files. Views of Responsible Officials Management recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendation.

Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 – Significant Deficiency Grant Award No. MN192-Housing Choice Voucher & MN192-Mainstream Voucher Federal Award Year 2024 Criteria The PHA must determine that the rent to the owner is reasonable at the time of initial leasing. Also, the PHA must determine reasonable rent during the term of the contract (a) before any increase in the rent to owner, and (b) at the HAP contract anniversary if there is a 10 percent decrease in the published Fair Market Rent in effect 60 days before ethe HAP contract anniversary (24 CFR sections 982.4, 982.54(d)(15), 982.158(f)(7), and 982.507). Condition One tested tenant was receiving HAP who was not living in a unit that was deemed to have a reasonable rent rate. Questioned Costs None Context We tested rent reasonableness compliance requirements on 22 of the Authority’s 220 tenant files and found that one tenant was receiving HAP that did not meet the reasonable rent criteria. Effect The tenant received more HAP payments than allowed due to an excessive rent cost. Cause Lack of controls procedures and oversight during the year. Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend the Authority reviews procedures and controls over rent reasonableness to ensure an accurate assessment is performed. Views of Responsible Officials Management recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendation.

Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 – Significant Deficiency Grant Award No. MN192-Housing Choice Voucher & MN192-Mainstream Voucher Federal Award Year 2024 Criteria The PHA must maintain an up-to-date utility allowance schedule. The PHA must review utility rate data for each utility category each year and must adjust its utility allowance schedule if there has been a rate change of 10 percent or more for a utility category or fuel type since the last time the utility allowance schedule was revised (24 CFR section 982.517). Condition The utility allowance schedule was not reviewed by a second individual prior to implementing the schedule. Questioned Costs None Context During our review of the Authority’s utility rate data review, it was noted that a second individual did not review the schedule prior to the schedule being implemented. Effect The utility rate review may have been performed incorrectly, resulting in a utility allowance schedule being used that does not contain up-to-date rates. Cause Lack of control procedures and oversight during the year. Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend the Authority review its internal control policies to ensure a review over the utility allowance schedule is performed prior to implementing the rates. Views of Responsible Officials Management recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendation.

Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 – Significant Deficiency Grant Award No. MN192-Housing Choice Voucher & MN192-Mainstream Voucher Federal Award Year 2024 Criteria The PHA must inspect the unit leased to a family at least biennially to determine if the unit meets Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and the PHA must conduct quality control re-inspections. Condition The minimum required number of quality control re-inspections were not performed. Questioned Costs None Context During our testing of HQS quality control re-inspections, it was determined based on 24 CFR 985.2 that the Authority did not perform the minimum required amount of 9 quality control re-inspections during the year as they only completed 3 re-inspections. Effect Inspections may have been performed incorrectly that re-inspections would have caught. Cause The Authority did not have a proper understanding of the quality control re-inspection procedure requirements. Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend the Authority reviews the program requirements to ensure the appropriate number of HQS quality control re-inspections is performed each year. Views of Responsible Officials Management recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendation.

Federal Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AL #14.871 & 14.879 – Significant Deficiency Grant Award No. MN192-Housing Choice Voucher & MN192-Mainstream Voucher Federal Award Year 2024 Criteria The PHA must inspect the unit leased to a family at least biennially to determine if the unit meets Housing Quality Standards (HQS). For units under HAP contract that fail to meet HQS, the PHA must require the owner to correct any life threatening HQS deficiencies within 24 hours after the inspections and all other HQS deficiencies within 30 calendar days or within a specified PHA-approved extension. Condition Through a series of samples, it was noted that a bi-annual inspection was not performed on one tested file. We also noted 3 separate instances in which life-threatening deficiencies did not contain documentation noting they were corrected within the 24-hour requirement period and an additional 2 instances in which other deficiencies did not contain documentation as to the timing of corrective action. Questioned Costs None Context We tested HQS Enforcement compliance requirements on 22 of the Authority’s 220 tenant files and noted that a bi-annual inspection did not occur in one of the files. In a separate sample over failed inspections, in which 6 of 56 failed inspections were reviewed, we noted 3 contained life-threatening failures that did not contain documentation to support appropriate follow up and correction within 24 hours. Across both samples, there were also two instances in which supporting documentation lacked notations of timing to indicate when re-inspections and corrective action took place. Effect Tenant may be living in units that do not meet Housing Quality Standards. Cause Lack of controls and oversight during the year. Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend the Authority review their procedures for performing and documenting HQS inspections and follow-up on fails to ensure Housing Quality Standards are met. Views of Responsible Officials Management recognizes the deficiency and plans to implement the auditor’s recommendation.