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Open Recommendations

Veteran Homelessness Programs: Opportunities to Improve Data Collection and Establish an Evaluation Plan
GAO-26-107517
Mar 30, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should ensure that the Senior Executive Director of the Homeless Programs Office develops a method for requiring VAMCs to collect data on the reasons eligible veterans were not referred to HUD-VASH, including when veterans are not referred due to insufficient case management capacity, and use these data, as appropriate, to inform staffing assessments. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should ensure that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs clearly define its objectives for the Tribal HUD-VASH pilot program and how it will measure progress toward them and develop and implement a data collection and analysis plan for evaluating the program. The plan should include how lessons learned will inform decisions on scalability or integrating pilot activities into overall efforts. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Homelessness: Agency Actions Could Improve Data on Shelter Program Use
GAO-26-107502
Jan 22, 2026
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should increase the transparency of HUD's usability determinations by adopting clear criteria for how data quality flags should be applied in those decisions. To the extent that subjective judgment is used, HUD should document the reasons for its decisions. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should reevaluate the statistical methods used to estimate shelter use to assess whether alternative imputation methods could more accurately reflect the uncertainty of its estimates. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should communicate the rationales for HUD's usability determinations to Continuums of Care, such as by providing information on which data quality flags are considered higher or lower priority. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Military Housing: DOD Should Address Critical Supply and Affordability Challenges for Service Members
GAO-25-106208
Oct 30, 2024
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3 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, performs a structured analysis to develop a comprehensive list of critical housing areas. In conducting analysis to develop this list, DOD should consider the unique characteristics of a location, such as vacation rental areas. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. In response to our recommendation, DOD issued guidance in a memorandum "Interim Guidance for Designated Critical Housing Areas" in March 2026 that provides indicators of critical housing areas (CHA) that should be considered by the Chief Housing Officer. These indicators include the availability of housing, housing waitlists, and short-term vacation rentals. Officials stated they are finalizing the list of designated critical housing areas and estimate completing these actions by May 2027. We will continue to monitor steps taken by DOD to address this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, regularly updates the list of identified critical housing areas. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. DOD provided a corrective action plan in March 2026 that states that the department will update, as needed, the list of identified critical housing areas by July 2027. We will continue to monitor steps taken by DOD to address this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the military services, obtains and uses feedback on the financial and quality-of-life effects of limited supply or unaffordable housing on service members, through the Status of Forces survey and other service or installation-specific feedback mechanisms. (Recommendation 4)
Open – Partially Addressed
DOD concurred with this recommendation. DOD incorporated questions concerning the physical condition, affordability, and availability of housing into the 2024 Status of Forces survey to identify and evaluate the financial and quality-of-life challenges associated with living in areas with limited or unaffordable housing, according to documentation we reviewed. Officials also stated in March 2026 that the Status of Forces survey, "Interim Guidance for Community Engagement," "Interim Guidance on the Housing Requirements Determination Process," and "Interim Guidance for Designated Critical Housing Areas" will provide DOD with mechanisms to collect feedback on the financial and quality-of-life effects of limited supply or unaffordable housing on service members. These are important steps for obtaining feedback. We have yet to see documentation of how DOD has used the feedback in developing a list of critical housing areas or for developing plans to address challenges in those areas, for example. Officials estimate completing these actions by May 2026. We will continue to monitor steps taken by DOD to address this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the military services, develops a plan for how the department can respond to and address the financial and quality-of-life effects in critical housing areas once those areas are identified, such as through feasible solutions to increase housing supply or through additional strategies such as alternative compensation. (Recommendation 5)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. DOD provided a corrective action plan in March 2026 that states that the department will develop an action plan to address the financial and quality-of-life challenges associated with living in a critical housing area. In March 2026, DOD issued guidance in a memorandum "Interim Guidance for Designated Critical Housing Areas" that includes actions the Chief Housing Officer can take to address challenges in critical housing areas, such as making exceptions to housing assignment policies and accelerating military construction. The department is in the process of finalizing the list of designated critical housing areas. Officials estimate completing these actions by July 2027. We will continue to monitor steps taken by DOD to address this recommendation.

Rental Housing: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight of Assistance to Survivors of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
GAO-24-106481
Jul 11, 2024
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Director on Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Equity finalizes a revised model emergency transfer plan that meets all VAWA regulatory requirements. (Recommendation 1)
Open
We are monitoring HUD's efforts to address this recommendation.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Assistant Secretary for PIH provides written instructions to PHAs, such as through notices or frequently asked questions, on how to implement emergency transfers, including information related to external transfers and coordination. (Recommendation 2)
Open
We are monitoring HUD's efforts to address this recommendation.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing provides written instructions to PBRA providers, such as through notices or frequently asked questions, on how to implement emergency transfers, including information related to external transfers and coordination. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In July 2025, HUD officials said they were in the process of updating its Multifamily Asset Management and Project Servicing handbook to include a new chapter on all VAWA requirements and protections (including information on emergency transfers) with a target completion date of December 31, 2025. Officials said they also anticipate providing VAWA training and technical assistance to PBRA providers in 2025.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing revises the management and occupancy review form (HUD-9834) to incorporate specific questions on PBRA properties' compliance with VAWA emergency transfer requirements. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In July 2025, HUD officials said they are in the process of finalizing a revised management and occupancy review form (HUD-9834) that includes specific questions on PBRA properties' compliance with VAWA emergency transfer requirements. These questions will be included as a "VAWA Addendum" section of the form. HUD officials anticipate the revised form will be finalized by September 30, 2025.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Director on Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Equity finalizes a regulation implementing the compliance review requirements of VAWA 2022, including defining standards of compliance and standards for corrective action plans. (Recommendation 5)
Open
We are monitoring HUD's efforts to address this recommendation.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Assistant Secretary for PIH develops and implements a plan, including a timeline, for PIH to collect the required data on emergency transfers from PHAs. (Recommendation 6)
Open
We are monitoring HUD's efforts to address this recommendation.
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