HUD’s PIH Office of Field Operations Generally Confirmed That PHAs Complied With the Implementing Guidance of HUD’s Smoke-Free Policy Requirements

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Public and Indian Housing’s (PIH) Office of Field Operations’ (OFO) oversight of public housing agencies’ (PHA) compliance with implementing HUD’s smoke-free policy. We initiated the audit in accordance with our strategic plan and our vision to support HUD’s efforts to achieve quality and safer housing. Our objective was to determine whether OFO ensured that the PHAs complied with the implementing guidance of HUD’s smoke-free policy requirements in public housing programs. HUD’s OFO generally confirmed that the PHAs complied with the implementing guidance of HUD’s smoke-free policy requirements in public housing programs by July 30, 2018, as required. OFO: (1) provided technical assistance to PHAs before the implementation deadline to help ensure their compliance and (2) obtained self-reporting from a majority of more than 3,000 PHAs that they had obtained their board’s approval for implementing the policy and had amended their tenants’ leases as required. Further, all 28 PHAs that we reviewed in our limited sampling had complied with the implementation guidance of HUD’s smoke-free policy requirements. This report contains no recommendations.