Press Release  Audit Recommends Improvements to Compensation, Recordkeeping, Maintenance Policies at Carver Housing Authority

Boston — Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today released an audit of the Carver Housing Authority (CHA), which found inadequate documentation of compensation for its former executive director, as well as deficiencies in its practices regarding unit inspections, reoccupying vacant units, inventory records, and other areas.

“The board members of the Carver Housing Authority need to fulfill their responsibilities to their residents by attending all meetings, and exercising their fiduciary duties,” Bump said. “They must also demand more accountability from the director of the Authority.”

The audit found that the authority did not have adequate documentation to support more than $36,000 in compensation to its former executive (now acting) director. The authority paid the director for vacation days without any records of accrual of the time, as well as for pay periods where her timesheets showed fewer hours worked than were paid, and several weeks of compensation with no timesheets.

The audit also found the Authority did not:

• Hold required board meetings;
• Keep hardcopy waiting-list ledgers;
• Perform or properly document annual inspections of housing units;
• Reoccupy vacant units within required timeframes; and
• Properly maintain inventory lists of property and equipment.

Additionally, the audit found that the Authority properly calculated rent determination and redeterminations, managed its rent-collection process properly, maintained proper documentation for administrative and credit-care expenses, and submitted financial statements and budgets in accordance with relevant reporting requirements.

In the audit, Bump recommends the Authority establish better policies for documenting salary for its director, as well improving its practices related to its inventory, board meetings, record-keeping, inspections, and reoccupation of units.

The audit was conducted following an audit of the Wareham Housing Authority (WHA), which found significant deficiencies. During that audit, Bump’s office learned that the former director was now the director at CHA. They initiated an audit of CHA to determine if similar deficiencies existed there.

The Carver Housing Authority audit is available here.

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