1 Audit Committee denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
2 Audit Committee Affordable Housing Audit December 2018 Jared Miller, Audit Supervisor Pat Schafer, Audit Supervisor Shaun Wysong, Senior Auditor Chris Wilson, Staff Auditor denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
3 Background Affordable Housing: • Occupants pay no more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing costs • Eligibility for affordable housing programs is based on a household’s area median income (AMI) Denver’s 2018 AMI for a single‐person household is $63,000 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
4 Inclusionary Housing Ordinance • Enacted in 2002 to increase number of low‐ and moderate‐income housing units 10 percent of units in residential developments of 30 or more for‐sale homes must be affordable Developer may also pay a cash‐in‐lieu fee instead denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
5 • Zones determine the percentage applied to get the appropriate cash‐in‐lieu fee. denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
6 Background, continued • Income Verification – The Office of Economic Development verifies a homebuyer is within the AMI range and housing payments are affordable. • Incentive Payments – Developers may apply for financial incentives for building affordable units based on neighborhood type. denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
7 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
8 Affordable Housing Permanent Fund Ordinance • Approved a dedicated permanent source of funding for affordable housing in September 2016 • Consists of two funding sources: Property Tax Revenue Fund Linkage Fee Revenue Fund denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
9 Affordable Housing Fund, continued Department of Community Planning and Development • Responsible for the calculation and collection of linkage fees • Responsible for coordinating approvals for linkage fee exemptions denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
Gap‐Financing 10 • Additional tool the Office of Gap Economic Development uses to build affordable units Total Housing Sale • Financing covers the gap Project Costs Developer Proceeds Proceeds between the cost to build to From affordable homes and the Developer Affordable Unit restrictively set low sale Sales prices denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
11 11 Finding 1 The Office of Economic Development’s Lack of Proper Implementation and Enforcement of Regulations Is Not Ensuring Affordability of Housing denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
12 12 Sub‐Finding 1: Initial Sales Prices Inaccurate Initial Sale Prices Resulted in Mispricing of Homes denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
The Office of 13 Economic Development: • Calculates maximum sale prices for affordable homes • Publishes maximum sale price tables denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
14 14 Initial Sales Prices, continued denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
15 15 Initial Sales Prices, continued OED failed to calculate max sale price table for 2007 • 51 affordable homes possibly sold for less than they should have Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor denvergov.org/Auditor
16 Recommendation 1.1: Design Internal Controls to Ensure Correct Maximum Sale Price Table Is Used Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: March 31, 2019 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
17 17 Sub‐Finding 2: Income Eligibility The Office of Economic Development Is Not Properly Determining Income Eligibility for Prospective Homebuyers of Affordable Homes denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
18 18 Income Eligibility, continued Errors in Income Verification Process • The Office of Economic Development did not ensure affordability of housing payments • Seven of 23 for‐sale units had housing payments above 30 percent of owner’s gross income denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
19 Recommendation 1.2: Design Internal Controls for Income Verification Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: Completed denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
20 20 Sub‐Finding 3: Recording Process Errors Exist in the Office of Economic Development’s Recording Process denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
21 21 Recording Process, continued Memorandum of Acceptance Errors • Six improperly categorized • Three recorded under misspelled names • Five incorrect or no reception numbers Secondary Liens Could Improve Controls denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
22 Recommendation 1.3: Design Internal Controls for Recording Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: May 31, 2019 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
23 Recommendation 1.4: Research Use of Secondary Liens Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: May 31, 2019 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
24 24 Sub‐Finding 4: Resale Prices The Office of Economic Development Miscalculated Maximum Resale Prices denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
25 25 Resale Prices, continued • Incorrect and unsupported appraisals • Incorrect and unsupported Case/Shiller Index rates applied • Miscalculations in total days of ownership denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
26 Recommendation 1.5: Design Internal Controls for Reviewing Resale Prices Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: March 1, 2019 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
27 27 Sub‐Finding 5: Cash‐in‐Lieu Payments The Office of Economic Development Mishandled Cash‐in‐Lieu Payments denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
28 28 Cash‐in‐Lieu Payments, continued Two options under Inclusionary Housing Ordinance: 1. Allocate 10 percent of units in development as affordable units and sell at below‐market rates OR 2. Pay fee instead of building, called “cash‐in‐lieu fee” denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
How a Cash‐In‐Lieu Fee Is Calculated: 29 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
30 30 Cash‐in‐Lieu Payments, continued • Only two cash‐in‐lieu payments have been made since 2014 • Both payments were problematic 1. OED used wrong table when determining cash‐in‐lieu Over‐charged developer $35,762 2. This error allowed City to issue building permit AND certificate of occupancy prior to collecting cash‐in‐lieu. Took City 12 years to collect $1.5 million cash in lieu fee denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
31 Recommendation 1.6: Rectify Overpayment Received in 2014 from Developer Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: January 31, 2019 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
32 32 Sub‐Finding 6: Incomplete Data The Office of Economic Development Lacks an Accurate and Complete Compliance Database of Affordable Units denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
33 33 Incomplete Data, continued Data Inaccuracies Found: • 27 units from two developments missing • Nine reception dates in place of dates of sale • One instance each of: Owner placed in incorrect field, Duplicate owner with incorrect sales price, and Missing sales price denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
34 Recommendation 1.7: Design Internal Controls for Data Accuracy Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: Fourth Quarter 2019 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
35 35 Sub‐Finding 7: Incentive Payments The Office of Economic Development Exceeded Incentive Payment Annual Maximum denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
36 36 Incentive Payments, Continued • Incentive to developers for building affordable units under the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Sunsetted December 2016 • $250,000 max can be paid out to any ONE developer per year • The Office of Economic Development violated cap and paid out $318,500 to one developer in 2018 denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
37 Recommendation 1.8: Design Internal Controls for Processing of Incentive Payments Agency Response: Agree Implementation Date: Completed denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
38 38 Sub‐Finding 8: Rental Monitoring The Office of Economic Development Is Not Monitoring Federally Funded Rental Projects in a Timely Manner denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
39 39 Rental Monitoring, continued Code of Federal Regulations: “The participating jurisdiction must review rents for compliance and approve or disapprove them every year.” Section 92.252(f)(2) of Code of Federal Regulations states that “[t]he participating jurisdiction must review rents for compliance and approve or disapprove them every year.” denvergov.org/Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA, Auditor
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