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Recommendations Database

GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

Our recommendations help congressional and agency leaders prepare for appropriations and oversight activities, as well as help improve government operations. Moreover, when implemented, some of our priority recommendations can save large amounts of money, help Congress make decisions on major issues, and substantially improve or transform major government programs or agencies, among other benefits.

As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Results:

Subject Term: "Hurricane Rita"

2 publications with a total of 6 open recommendations including 2 priority recommendations
Download these results in CSV format or XLSX format.
Small Business Administration: Disaster Loan Processing Was Timelier, but Planning Improvements and Pilot Program Evaluation Needed
GAO-20-168, Feb 7, 2020
Director: Shear, William B
Phone: (202) 512-8678

5 open recommendations
including 2 priority recommendations
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Recommendation: The Associate Administrator for the Office of Disaster Assistance should identify and document risks associated with its disaster response and plans to mitigate these risks in its disaster planning documentation. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Small Business Administration: Office of Disaster Assistance
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: SBA agreed with the recommendation. SBA noted that relevant agency offices would collaborate to identify and document known risks associated with SBA's disaster response and implement a risk-informed approach to its direct response and recovery operations.
Recommendation: The Associate Administrator for the Office of Disaster Assistance should identify the key elements of a disaster action plan and provide additional guidance to staff on how to incorporate these elements into future action plans. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Small Business Administration: Office of Disaster Assistance
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: SBA agreed with the recommendation. SBA noted that the agency would develop the key elements of and templates for a disaster action plan, provide guidance to field operations centers, and update the agency's Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan.
Recommendation: The Associate Administrator for the Office of Disaster Assistance should update its outreach plan to include information on region-specific risks or challenges, such as those encountered after the 2017 hurricanes. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Small Business Administration: Office of Disaster Assistance
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Associate Administrator for the Office of Disaster Assistance should establish metrics to measure the success of its outreach efforts during the response to a disaster. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Small Business Administration: Office of Disaster Assistance
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access should evaluate the implementation of the Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program to determine why so few loans have been made and if any design changes may be warranted before the end of the pilot. Such an evaluation could include assessing SBA's outreach efforts and seeking feedback from lenders. (Recommendation 5)

Agency: Small Business Administration: Office of Disaster Assistance
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Disaster Assistance: Federal Assistance for Permanent Housing Primarily Benefited Homeowners; Opportunities Exist to Better Target Rental Housing Needs
GAO-10-17, Jan 14, 2010
Director: Scire, Mathew J
Phone: (202)512-6794

1 open recommendations
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Recommendation: To the extent that the CDBG program continues to be the primary vehicle used to provide post-disaster assistance for permanent housing, Congress may wish to consider providing more specific direction regarding the distribution of disaster-related CDBG assistance that states are to provide for homeowners and renters. If Congress wishes to change the proportion of assistance directed to homeowners and rental property owners in future recovery efforts, Congress could, for example, require states to demonstrate to HUD that they are adequately addressing the needs of both homeowners and renters with their CDBG allocation and other resources as a condition for receiving funds. Alternatively, Congress could direct HUD to develop a formula that accounts for the housing needs of both homeowners and renters. Such a formula could be used by states to determine the proportions of their disaster CDBG funds that should be used for housing, specifically rental housing. Further, the formula could also reflect the anticipated production levels of other programs that provide permanent housing assistance, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.

Agency: Congress
Status: Open

Comments: Since 1993, Congress has appropriated Community Development Block-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding in the wake of numerous presidentially-declared disasters, including, most recently, $2.431 billion in Public Law 116-20, the majority of which amount is for disasters that occurred in 2018 and 2019. Similar to previous CDBG-DR appropriations, the CDBG-DR appropriation in Public Law 116-20, enacted June 6, 2019, neither requires states to demonstrate to HUD that they adequately addressed the needs of both homeowners and renters nor, alternatively, directs HUD to develop a formula that accounts for the housing needs of both homeowners and renters. A bill introduced and reported out of committee in the 115th Congress, HR 4557, required HUD to disapprove a state action plan that detailed a grantee's use of funds if, among other reasons, the plan did not provide an equitable allocation of resources among homeowners, renters, and persons experiencing homelessness. A draft bill, whose provisions were essentially identical to HR 4557, was the focus of a hearing during the 116th Congress.