HUD OIG is reviewing HUD’s fraud risks identified for funds received from the Coronavirus Aid Recovery and Economic Stability Act for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.  Our objective will be to gain an understanding of HUD’s fraud risk management practices and the fraud risks HUD has identified for the CDBG and ESG funds appropriated under the CARES Act and develop an inventory of fraud risks not already identified by HUD.

HUD OIG is auditing rent credits that HUD received from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) during fiscal years 2015 through 2018 in exchange for financial contributions for building improvements.  We initiated this audit due to concerns we identified while completing a review of HUD’s use of funds approved by Congress for building improvements.  Our objective was to determine whether HUD accounted for and managed rent credits, issued by GSA in exchange for HUD’s financial contributions for building improvements, in accordance with applicable requirements.

HUD OIG is reviewing HUD’s grant closeout process.  The Grants Oversight and New Efficiency (GONE) Act was enacted in 2016 and requires Federal agencies to report on certain expired grants and awards, and to take appropriate action to close them out.  The review objectives are to determine whether HUD: (1) established adequate grant closeout processes to ensure compliance with the GONE Act; and, (2) ensured that reports related to its compliance with the GONE Act were accurate.

HUD OIG is auditing HUD's Office of Single-Family Housing - Federal Housing Administration (FHA) program partly in response to media reports which have highlighted instances when lenders did not properly administer the COVID-19 forbearance options.  The audit objective is to determine whether FHA insured borrowers properly received the CARES Act forbearance options.

HUD OIG is auditing HUD's compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA).  The PIIA requires HUD to identify and review all programs and activities it administers that may be susceptible to significant improper payments based on guidance provided by OMB.

HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s oversight of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refunds.  FHA insures mortgages to increase homeownership opportunities.  An upfront insurance premium, paid at the time of closing, is refundable if the loan ends early, whether through sale, foreclosure, or refinancing.  We received a hotline complaint describing roadblocks to obtaining refunds.

HUD OIG is  researching prior audits of HUD’s partial claims loss mitigation option.  On July 8, 2020, FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-22 informing mortgagees the full suite of loss mitigations available to single family borrowers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The purpose of this research is to provide HUD information regarding lessons learned and risks identified in these prior audits that HUD should act on now to ensure program integrity and mitigate the risk of financial loss for COVID-19 related partial claims.  

HUD OIG is researching prior audits of HUD’s Single Family Default Monitoring System to provide HUD information regarding lessons learned and risks identified in these prior audits.  The forbearances will result in increased claims filed against the insurance fund.  The lessons learned from prior audits identify what actions HUD should take now to ensure program integrity and mitigate the risk of financial loss for COVID-19 related forbearance assistance and foreclosure moratorium related to single family loans.  

HUD OIG is reviewing HUD's corrective actions in response to four specific recommendations made in audit reports 2012-PH-0004, 2013-PH-0002, 2014-PH-0001, and 2015-PH-0004.  Our prior audits showed that HUD’s controls did not always ensure that HECM loan borrowers complied with program residency requirements.  The audits included a recommendation to prevent and mitigate instances of borrowers violating the principal residency requirements.   The objective of our audit is to determine whether HUD's actions to address the recommendations were adequate.