Richmond Housing Authority Under Scrutiny

I thought I’d finished my story on the Triangle Court re-roofing project in Richmond. Quick summary: 1) Activists say the stimulus-funded project failed to comply with federal hiring guidelines; 2) the contractor says he was in compliance; 3) the Richmond Housing Authority refuses to comment.

But on Friday, Donna White contacted me from HUD’s Office of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. White told me HUD has the Richmond Housing Authority on “heightened” review. An audit dated September 24 concluded the Housing Authority failed to comply with federal guidelines that govern procurement practices. Also, “payments were processed and issued without proper supporting documentation and required approvals, contract limits were ignored, and controls for safeguarding the Authority's financial assets were not in place or not effective.”

Is this why I couldn’t get an interview with the Richmond Housing Authority?

Full report here: http://www.hud.gov/offices/oig/reports/files/ig0991020.pdf