Recommendation: To better inform Congress and improve what is known about the extent to which elderly residents of Section 202 properties are assisted by service coordinators, the Assistant Secretary for Housing should develop and implement written guidance that describes how HUD staff should assess Section 202 properties' compliance with the program's supportive services requirement. Such guidance should include information on the roles and responsibilities of HUD staff for (1) identifying stand-alone Section 202 properties and (2) monitoring the supportive services requirement for Section 202 properties with grant- and budget-based service coordinators, Section 202 properties that do not have service coordinators, and stand-alone Section 202 properties.

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: In February 2018, HUD noted that it is in the process of finalizing written guidance which will document the agency's expectations regarding the supportive services requirement for Section 202 properties. HUD plans to finalize the guidance and post it on its website by May 2018. In July 2019, HUD noted that it posted guidance related to service coordinators on its website in 2018. The guidance describes the roles and responsibilities of service coordinators as well is reporting policies related to budget-based service coordinators. As of October 2019, HUD noted that it is drafting guidance that includes information on identifying and monitoring stand-alone Section 202 properties. This recommendation will remain open until HUD can demonstrate providing guidance to HUD staff on (1) identifying stand-alone Section 202 properties, and (2) monitoring the supportive services requirement for various types of Section 202 properties, including properties without service coordinators and stand-alone Section 202 properties. In December 2019, we requested further information from HUD and will continue to follow up on the agency's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Recommendation: To better inform Congress and improve what is known about the extent to which elderly residents of Section 202 properties are assisted by service coordinators, the Assistant Secretary for Housing should develop and implement policies and procedures for (1) verifying the accuracy of a sample of the performance information that Section 202 properties submit through semiannual performance reports and (2) analyzing the performance information collected.

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: In February 2018, HUD noted that it had implemented a pilot program in 2017 which connected the information systems that some Section 202 properties use to record information on their service coordinator programs to a "grant reporting framework." In February 2018, HUD staff told us that all Section 202 properties with Service Coordinators would be required to use the new grant reporting framework in 2018, and that the new framework included edit checks and other mechanisms designed to improve the reliability of the data reported. In July 2019, HUD noted that they are continuing work on the pilot program and have not analyzed the data yet. They also stated that the pilot includes processes to help ensure the reliability of the data. In October 2019, HUD stated that the pilot ended in FY 2018 and the new grant reporting framework became a national reporting requirement for all Multifamily service coordinator programs (grant-funded and budget-based) in FY 2019. This recommendation will remain open until HUD develops and implements policies and procedures for (1) verifying the accuracy of a sample of performance information, and (2) analyzing the performance information collected. In December 2019, we requested further information from HUD and will continue to follow up on the agency's progress toward implementing this recommendation.