{"id":2141021,"date":"2024-01-04T23:28:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T04:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-lost-track-of-426-million-in-federal-pandemic-funds-for-emergency-rental-assistance\/"},"modified":"2024-01-04T23:31:52","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T04:31:52","slug":"oregon-lost-track-of-426-million-in-federal-pandemic-funds-for-emergency-rental-assistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-lost-track-of-426-million-in-federal-pandemic-funds-for-emergency-rental-assistance\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon misplaced $426 million in federal pandemic funds for emergency rental assistance"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foregon-lost-track-of-426-million-in-federal-pandemic-funds-for-emergency-rental-assistance%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2141021&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Oregon Housing Agency\u2062 Loses Track of $426 Million in Federal Funds for Emergency Rental Assistance<\/h2>\n<p>The state of Oregon&#8217;s housing\u200c agency has \u2063come under scrutiny after a new state audit revealed that it lost track of $426 million in federal pandemic-era funds for \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cdc-extends-eviction-moratorium-claims-final-extension-as-landlords-continue-to-struggle\/\" title=\"CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium, Claims \u2018Final Extension\u2019 As Landlords Continue To Struggle\">emergency rental assistance<\/a> (ERA). The audit, released\u200b on Thursday \u200dby the Oregon Audits Division, highlighted the inability\u200c of the Oregon Housing and Community Services\u200b (OHCS) to account\u200b for \u200bthe \u2063millions of dollars designated\u2062 for the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance\u2063 Program.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The agency has no\u2062 way of\u2062 knowing \u200bhow much\u200c of the $426 \u2063million went \u200cto eligible Oregon recipients \u200cand how much was \u2063sent to landlords, renters, and non-eligible recipients in error,&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u2063audit also uncovered other concerning issues within the OHCS. The\u200c agency was unable to quantify the amount of ERA funds\u2062 distributed or the number of applicants who received funding. Additionally, \u200cthe \u2063auditors found that\u2064 the agency had\u200d deficient financial\u200b accounting controls, poor administrative practices, and inadequate program staffing. They also criticized the agency&#8217;s lack of oversight\u200b on fraud, eligibility, and financial controls.<\/p>\n<p>Based \u200bon their review of randomly selected \u200cpayments, auditors \u200cdiscovered a 30\u2063 percent error rate, \u2064estimating that erroneous payouts could total $11 million. They also found inaccuracies and \u2062inconsistencies between the OHCS\u200d database, U.S.\u2064 Treasury\u2063 reports, and a contractor database. The audit further highlighted\u200b the department&#8217;s failure to meet\u2063 federal guidelines in spending the funds and accurately track \u2062administrative costs.<\/p>\n<p>The ERA funds, totaling $46.5 billion, \u2063were \u200cprovided in two installments: &#8220;ERA 1&#8243;\u200b from \u200dCongress&#8217; December 2020 COVID-19 relief package and &#8220;ERA 2&#8221; from\u200c Congress&#8217; March 2021 relief package. Despite an eviction moratorium, an\u2063 estimated\u2062 176,000 Oregon renter households were at risk of\u2064 eviction in September 2020.<\/p>\n<p>While OHCS implemented\u200b an equity-based system for distributing funds, it neglected to ensure compliance with\u2063 federal guidelines. The department took steps to prioritize certain demographics, such as Latinos, farmworkers, individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing homelessness or housing instability due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>With \u2064the \u200bERA Program now closed, OHCS faces the challenge of addressing homelessness, as mandated by Governor Tina Kotek. Auditors \u2063expressed concern about the department&#8217;s \u200bcarryover of \u2062practices from the ERA\u2062 Program to \u2064the Oregon Eviction Diversion and Prevention Program.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the audit, OHCS executive director Andrea Bell\u200c defended the department&#8217;s work, citing the pressures and demands of the pandemic. While she agreed to most of the recommendations, she denied two\u200c concerning additional oversight measures.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET\u200b THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200c How does the agency&#8217;s inability to track the $426 million in federal funds impact\u2062 its ability to ensure \u2062that the \u200dfunds were distributed \u200cto eligible recipients?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Compliance with federal guidance.<\/p>\n<p>The loss of $426 \u200dmillion\u200d in federal funds raises serious concerns about the effectiveness and transparency\u200b of the Oregon Housing and Community Services. With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/social-security-update-second-of-december-double-payments-worth-914-to-be-sent-out-in-14-days\/\" title=\"Social Security update: 4 double payments to be sent in 14 days on December 2nd\">ongoing economic challenges caused<\/a> by the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency rental assistance\u2064 is crucial for supporting struggling individuals\u200d and \u2063families. However, the audit&#8217;s findings\u2064 suggest that\u2064 the OHCS\u200b has failed in \u2063its responsibility to efficiently\u200d and effectively distribute these funds.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most alarming discoveries from the audit\u200c is the agency&#8217;s inability to track where the $426\u200c million went. This lack of accountability is\u200b deeply troubling, as \u2063it\u200c raises questions\u200c about \u2062the\u200b agency&#8217;s \u200bability to ensure that the \u2062funds were distributed to eligible recipients.\u200b Without proper tracking and oversight measures, \u2063there is\u2062 a significant \u200drisk of funds being misused, sent to non-eligible individuals, or lost entirely.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u200bthe audit also revealed deficiencies\u2063 in \u2064the OHCS&#8217;s financial accounting controls, administrative practices,\u2062 and program staffing. These shortcomings further undermine\u200c the agency&#8217;s ability to carry out its duties\u2062 effectively. A lack of proper\u2063 financial controls not only increases the risk \u2064of mismanagement and fraud but also makes it impossible \u200cto accurately assess the impact and reach of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-slam-biden-administration-for-avoiding-oversight\/\" title=\"House Republicans Slam Biden Administration For Avoiding Oversight\">emergency rental assistance program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The auditors&#8217; criticism of the agency&#8217;s inadequate oversight on fraud, eligibility, \u2063and compliance issues is particularly concerning. With such a large \u200camount of federal\u2062 funds at stake, robust oversight mechanisms are crucial\u2062 to prevent potential abuse and ensure that \u2062the funds are allocated\u2064 to those\u2063 who are truly \u2064in need. The lack of oversight also undermines\u200c public trust in the agency and \u2062the government&#8217;s ability to effectively manage and distribute \u200demergency funds.<\/p>\n<p>The OHCS must take\u200d immediate action to address the issues highlighted in the audit.\u200c This \u2064should include implementing stronger financial controls, \u200dimproving administrative practices, and increasing program staffing to enhance\u200d the\u200c agency&#8217;s capacity to properly manage and distribute\u2064 funds. Additionally, the agency \u2064must develop comprehensive oversight mechanisms to prevent fraud, validate eligibility,\u2062 and ensure compliance with federal \u200bguidelines.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, steps should be taken to\u200c enhance transparency and accountability. \u200cThe \u2064agency must establish \u2064a \u200csystem to accurately track the distribution of funds,\u2063 document the number of applicants receiving\u200c assistance, and provide \u200cregular updates to the public and relevant stakeholders. This will help rebuild public trust and ensure that the emergency rental assistance program \u200doperates with the utmost integrity.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the Oregon Housing and Community Services&#8217; loss of $426 million in federal funds for emergency rental assistance \u200bis a grave concern. The agency&#8217;s\u2064 inability to track and account for the funds raises\u200c questions about \u2064its ability to effectively manage and distribute financial \u200baid to those in need. Urgent action must be taken to rectify the deficiencies highlighted in \u2064the audit,\u200b strengthen financial controls, and improve oversight to restore public confidence in the agency&#8217;s ability\u2064 to handle emergency funds responsibly. Only through transparent and\u200d accountable management can the Oregon Housing and\u200d Community Services regain the trust\u200d of the public and fulfill its mission to\u2064 support vulnerable\u200c populations during times of crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oregon&#8217;s housing agency, OHCS, couldn&#8217;t account for $426 million in federal pandemic funds for emergency rental assistance, as per a state audit. The audit disclosed that the agency was unable to determine the whereabouts of the funds allocated to the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance program<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":243,"featured_media":2141022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2141021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/243"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2141021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2141022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2141021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2141021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2141021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}