The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has reported over $5 billion in potential payment errors associated with rental assistance programs during the last fiscal year of the Biden administration. The annual financial report identifies issues including improper payments, process gaps, and material weaknesses within the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs for the fiscal year 2024.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner remarked on the findings, attributing the significant errors to insufficient financial controls during the Biden administration. He stated that the department would continue to investigate these discrepancies and take appropriate actions against those responsible. Turner also indicated that HUD is building on initiatives from the Trump administration aimed at enhancing program integrity to ensure that assistance effectively reaches the intended vulnerable populations.
The report details specific areas of concern, including $77 million in potential errors linked to payments made for tenants who have died, impacting nearly 29,715 individuals. Additionally, it cited $150.3 million in possible erroneous payments to approximately 9,500 individuals with Social Security numbers that do not conform to Social Security Administration guidelines. Furthermore, the report noted payments to over 165,000 individuals for excessively high rents, totaling an estimated $287.6 million.
In response to these findings, HUD has announced efforts to improve oversight of funding for Public Housing Authorities and federal grant recipients. The department has also initiated an audit of public housing authorities to ensure that taxpayer resources are not being utilized by individuals in the country illegally, indicating a shift in policy focus since the Trump administration. A Memorandum of Understanding between HUD and the Department of Homeland Security was established to facilitate the sharing of information regarding illegal immigrants in the public housing system.