The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has identified more than $5 billion in potential payment errors tied to federal rental assistance programs during the final fiscal year of the Biden administration, according to its annual financial report. The findings point to improper payments, procedural gaps, and material weaknesses within the Tenant-Based and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs for fiscal year 2024.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner attributed the scale of the errors to inadequate financial controls, saying the department will continue investigating the discrepancies and pursue accountability where appropriate. Turner said HUD is building on program integrity measures initiated during the Trump administration, with the goal of ensuring housing assistance reaches eligible and vulnerable populations.
The report outlines several troubling examples, including $77 million in payments linked to nearly 29,700 deceased tenants, $150.3 million in payments to roughly 9,500 individuals with invalid Social Security numbers, and $287.6 million paid on behalf of more than 165,000 households charged excessive rents.