Possible Improprieties in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Revision of Its Minimum Property Standards

A review of the process of revising the Minimum Property Standards showed that industry's involvement in the development of the revision was limited to furnishing requested technical data. The release of the revised standard to the National Association of Home Builders prior to publication was in violation of the policy of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and was made by a HUD employee who could not be identified by HUD or GAO. The actions of a former HUD General Counsel in representing an organization in a lawsuit against the Farmers Home Administration do not appear to constitute a conflict of interest.