Patterico's Pontifications

8/26/2009

How Are Federal HUD Funds Being Spent?

Filed under: Economics — DRJ @ 1:16 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

In Austin, Texas, it’s not clear how federal Housing and Urban Development funds are being spent or if the state agencies understand the rules for spending them:

“Federal auditors found that the Housing Authority of Travis County could not fully account for millions of federal dollars, including more than $2.5 million “haphazardly” transferred between its federal and nonfederal programs without proper justification, more than $600,000 in undocumented costs, and more than $3,000 that was improperly used for travel expenses.

In addition, the auditors said in a report dated Aug. 17 that the Housing Authority’s books and records were not auditable.”

The Housing Authority acknowledges mistakes were made but disputes most of the claims. The Chair of the Board of Directors also said “they were unaware that using federal funds for non-federal programs was not allowed.”

— DRJ

15 Responses to “How Are Federal HUD Funds Being Spent?”

  1. The executive director of the Housing Authority resigned, effective July 31, days after the authority submitted its official response to the federal audit.

    Why aren’t they naming the name of the incompetent hoochie what screwed the pooch?

    I will try googles.

    happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/26/2009 @ 1:39 pm

  2. I guess that would be someone named Wiley Hopkins.

    happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/26/2009 @ 1:42 pm

  3. I’m moving to Austin later this year, do you suppose local taxes will have to increase to pay back the shortfalls?

    Just Kidding of course, everyone knows that “Moscow on the Guadalupe” has to raise taxes to support its liberal lifestyle. 🙂

    GM Roper (85dcd7) — 8/26/2009 @ 1:43 pm

  4. That’s the same Wiley what has some position in Buda too. Same emails.

    happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/26/2009 @ 1:45 pm

  5. Someone tell Mike Judge that he’s got another idea for a screenplay.

    Dmac (e6d1c2) — 8/26/2009 @ 1:46 pm

  6. Here is Wiley what is also the head of a nonprofit. Not sure if he’s still there today, but he sounds like when you talk about the housing crisis he’s one of thems what was part of the problem. Looks like he was in tight with those Fannie Mae gangstas.

    Wiley Hopkins, executive vice president, Strategic Housing Finance Corporation of Travis County, said, “When we talk about the ladder of the ‘Continuum of Housing’, the missing step has been how to serve those families and individuals seeking homeownership that have been denied. They may have the financial means to meet the mortgage payments, but do not have the cash resources to meet the requirements of closing costs and down payment. There are also those that may have credit and debt issues that have disqualified them from the typical home purchase/financing process in the past. Our Lease Purchase Plus program clearly provides the avenues to homeownership for those individuals routinely denied homeownership opportunities. The program also provides alternatives for overcoming these obstacles by repairing credit histories, reducing debt to acceptable levels and providing adequate funds for closing on their home.”

    happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/26/2009 @ 1:57 pm

  7. oh. Further on in that article it explains a little.

    The Strategic Housing Finance Corporation of Travis County (SHFC), a subsidiary of The Housing Authority of Travis County, was created to finance the costs of acquiring residential property in Travis County. The SHFC is the facilitator of the Lease Purchase Program, and served as issuer for the $35 million bond issue that funds the program. All homes selected by the program participants will be purchased initially by the SHFC and later assumed by the participants who have successfully met the requirements of the program.

    So Wiley had him some shell company action going on. No wonder the accounting turned out to be impenetrable. Sounds like it was opposed to be.

    happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/26/2009 @ 2:00 pm

  8. “…the Housing Authority’s books and records were not auditable…”

    Not the exception, but the rule.
    Then, you have an orginization that has existed since 1913(?) and has never been audited…
    Anyone care to guess how impenetrable the books at the Federal Reserve are?

    AD - RtR/OS! (6184e1) — 8/26/2009 @ 2:04 pm

  9. Poking through the audit report, the folks in Travis County are slightly peeved at it’s findings, to say the least. Heh!

    daleyrocks (718861) — 8/26/2009 @ 2:34 pm

  10. How clever you are, happyfeet. You make a good detective if you aren’t one already.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 8/26/2009 @ 3:53 pm

  11. Let me guess … another Inspector General to bite the dust.

    SPQR (26be8b) — 8/26/2009 @ 5:19 pm

  12. Well, we of King County in Washington salute all you who might come in contact with Federal HUD programs, and wish you the best of luck with its Obama-appointed King Director, one Ron Sims. As our County Executive, he presided over one spectacularly crooked election, a light rail project that came in over time and over budget, and the purchase of a computer system that went sour.

    You are welcome.

    Insufficiently Sensitive (a939d1) — 8/26/2009 @ 6:15 pm

  13. Travis County — Obama by 29.5 percent over McCain in the 2008 presidential election. They really do fit in with the mindset of most of the Blue States on how to use taxpayer money.

    John (da0d60) — 8/26/2009 @ 7:19 pm

  14. I bet that moola was “haphazardly” transferred to some political supporters.

    Patricia (29a01d) — 8/26/2009 @ 10:22 pm

  15. The Chair of the Board of Directors also said “they were unaware that using federal funds for non-federal programs was not allowed.”

    What the …! Why would they think that it was allowable to use federal funds for non-federal programs?

    Past time to break out the tar and feathers, I think.

    LarryD (feb78b) — 8/27/2009 @ 8:08 am


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0997 secs.