HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05161995 - 1.58 .HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA, COSTA
TO: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
FROM: Richard J.Martinez,Executive Director
DATE: May 16, 1995
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF AUDIT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1994
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
L RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ACCEPT financial audit report for the period April 1, 1993 through March 31, 1994, performed by
Ham and Rowe,Pleasant Hill, California, as recommended by the Advisory Housing Commission.
II. FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding has been provided in the Housing Authority's Fiscal Year 1993/94 Consolidated Operating
Budget for the $10,500 due the certified public accountancy firm of Ham and Rowe for performing this
financial audit.
III. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND
Ham and Rowe has completed their audit of the financial records of the Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa and all financial records of the Housing Authority are in order. Three findings were
made pertaining to tenant files,Drug-Free Workplace Policy and the Performance Funding System. The
auditor's recommendations and Housing Authority responses are contacted on pages 30 and 31 of the audit
report. Additionally, a separate management letter contains two items to strengthen the internal controls and
operation efficiency of the Housing Authority.
The Housing Authority agrees with both the audit findings and the recommendations stated in the
management letter. Full implementation of the audit recommendations have been made and the Housing
Authority has implemented changes to further strengthen its internal controls. These changes will be reviewed
by the auditors during their next engagement.
IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the Board of Commissioners elect to not accept the financial audit report as performed by the
certified public accountancy firm of Ham and Rowe, it would become necessary to upend additional funds to
either redo the financial audit report or contract with another certified public accountancy firm.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE�,t,�, ,,1
RECOMMENDATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S) :
ACTION OF BOARD ONI lo Ct C91
APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF COMMISSIONERS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
✓UNANIMOUS (ABSENT 1 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS! ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ATTESTED I �r �P , �.��I5' .
PHIL %ATCALOR, CLERK OF
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AND COUNTY. ADMINISTRATOR
By , DEPUTY
HOUSING AUTHORITY
OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1994
(Including Auditors' Report Thereon)
t
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
September 21, 1994 -
To the Board of Commissioners `
and Management
The Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of
the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa for the year
ended March 31, 1994, we considered the Authority's internal
control structure in order to determine our auditing procedures for
the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements
and not to provide assurance on the internal control structure.
However during our audit we became aware of several matters that
are opportunities for strengthening internal controls and operating
efficiency. The items that accompany this letter summarize our
comments and suggestions regarding those matters. We have issued
a separate report on the Authority's internal control structure
which is included in our financial report dated September 21, 1994.
This letter does not effect our report dated September 21, 1994 on
the financial of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa.
We will review. the status of these comments during our next
engagement. We have already discussed these comments and sugges-
tions with various Authority personnel, and we will be pleased to
discuss them in further detail at your convenience, to perform any
additional study of these matters, or to assist you in implementing
the recommendations.
Sincerely,
Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa
September 21, 1994
Page 2
1. A few instances were noted where revenues and expenditures
were recorded directly to a fund balance account versus being
posted to the appropriate revenue or expense account. Posting
these revenues and expenses directly to the fund balance
account causes the revenue and expense account balances to be
understated. It appears these postings were the result of
accounting for certain items in accordance with HUD guidelines
versus Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
We recommend that all revenues and expenses be posted to the
appropriate accounts in accordance with Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles. Postings directly to the fund balance
accounts should be limited to closing entries and a few other
unusual type of entries.
2. During our examination of the periodic reports required for
the CIAP and Comprehensive Grant Programs we noted that one
submitted report for the CIAP Program did not contain all the
required pages and one report for the Comprehensive Grant
Program was submitted late.
i
HOUSING AUTHORITY
OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1994
(Including Auditors' Report Thereon)
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Independent Auditors' Report 1
Financial Statements:
Combined Balance Sheet - All Fund Types and Account Groups 2
Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in
Fund Balances - All Governmental Fund Types 4
Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in
Fund Balances - Budget and Actual - Special Revenue Fund 5
Notes to the General Purpose Financial Statements 6
Independent Auditors' Report on Schedule of Federal Financial Assistance 16
Schedule of Federal Financial Assistance 17
Independent Auditors' Report on Compliance Based on an Audit
of General Purpose Financial Statements Performed in
Accordance with Government Auditing Standards 19
• Independent Auditors' Report on Compliance with General Requirements
Applicable to Federal Financial Assistance Programs 20
Independent Auditors' Report on Compliance with Specific Requirements
Applicable to Major Federal Financial Assistance Programs 21
Independent Auditors' Report on the Internal Control Structure
Based On An Audit of General Purpose Financial Statements
Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards 23
Independent Auditors' Report on the Internal Control Structure
Used in Administering Federal Financial Assistance Programs 26
Status of Prior Audit Findings 29
Findings and Recommendations 30
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the accompanying general purpose financial statements of the Housing
Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31,
1994. These general purpose financial statements are the responsibility of the Housing Authority
of the County of Contra Costa, California, management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these general purpose financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether the general purpose financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit
includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the
general purpose financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles
used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall general
purpose financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis
for our opinion.
In our opinion, the general purpose financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa,
California, as of March 31, 1994, and the results of its operations for the year then ended in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
September 21, 1994
O O N r•-+ t t- r-4 r-
00 \O W) r-q r-1 V) ON N N t-
en r-q O 00 ON le t- r-4 r-q N M
O O 00 t- 00 N O 00 M t- r-:
C; cd > O N M M r-i O 00 O 00 ON
�+ C ON O\ r1 r1 O ON M r- r--1
[0 O r cri N
00
a�
69 bR
E t
4.
O 1-: 00
(121
69
O
0 V y 00 00
CO
00 OC
- z
oA
u 6s ros
14 < W %C 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1
Otn >, � b
v
O
U A cN
Oz �
• W � M
w
f� Qa V o 0
Oen
>+ N cz � A
E,, W rs
60
Orxi� � v � vN•, �eq � o� � 00
x W r , � 0 00 0, r r..q
Z Lt, 06 C4 e 06
y "l06 \fn V) � O N
Q� Q� LL > r-� M N r-
z
. O W
xz
ca
• o
U
A .0 a; r W
co
O U > 10
�-.
Z U kr) O •Q
bA U Q (L) w n
cc W
Wq 'iA z � Z 'O Q) .b cd
O O CL O > 'm -0 Q ^O cti
cc
a�
Q O ccz m
V
Cz
UaHoaa zw ¢ _
W) �O M t- tl- O �o
b -4 to T-i \.O r--i M r--+ CN \.O M
l� �O ( \ N W N C� O M t- O M 00 r-i M 00 M
t-
i; 't M �C t- t- tl- et M C� C\ try 00 to O O-, Itt CN
o O O N N r-i N r+ r-I r"{ 00 tr) O N C*l N M to C� "
�-O M 00 M
U �O \,D 00
tag b9
00 00 00
� � IR
O O O
O O O
ay C A 00 00 00
C CL
° off
Qa o
u co 00 00 00
c�
• Qo
CGU � •'�
zQ
u04
c
W U r�-i e4
CN
Z W) to to
� F WO G H Q Lwo
O a "o-
C14
N
a�
• wQa �, 0 0 o s
H
a x � H C
to to N 00 O l� 00 Q\ ' ' � ' '�t ' M 00
O y C ct ON t- -t M O t� �c M V O r- >a
> C y r-+ to r-+ N �O O to N .--� M �
F U fs .9 O t- �C C�, N kf)^ N D\ O M to 00 N 00 cz
'tM \C t- t- t- le r-4M �O t/ C� to r-i
Q z ? N to r--i N e-1 r-1 r--1 00 t/) N tr) �c N
cq
AW F
o � c
^
cd
W t% > U Z Cid +U-' .U. ed y O D"
>, O O
co M
CO
Q aw U ° a' `" c � o z ° =
0
OU O co Ww= = co w w O c � c ai c
- u ¢ AAHo ¢ HAA .� � w
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
COMBINED STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND
CHANGES IN FUND BALANCES - ALL GOVERNMENTAL FUND TYPES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1994
Governmental Fund Types Total
Special Debt (Memorandum
Revenues Revenue Service Only)
Grants $ 44,629,290 $ 693,197 $ 45,322,487
Rents 2,217,504 - 2,217,504
Interest 42,494 314 42,808
Other 466,900 - 466,900
Total revenues 47,356,188 693,511 48,049,699
Expenditures
Current:
Administration 2,970,888 - 2,970,888
Tenant services 179,774 - 179,774
Utilities 872,822 - 872,822
Maintenance 2,241,014 - 2,241,014
Protective services 164,120 - 164,120
General 1,989,063 - 1,989,063
Rehabilitation loans 376,245 - 376,245
Housing assistance payments 33,387,034 - 33,387,034
Grants 71,711 - 71,711
Shelter costs 1,258,587 - 1,258,587
Debt service:
Principal - 273,710 273,710
Interest - 130,047 130,047
Capital additions 8,602,781 - 8,602,781
Total expenditures 52,114,039 403,757 52,517,796
Excess of revenues over (under) expenditures (4,757,851) 289,754 (4,468,097)
Other financiniz sources
Debt issued 4,276,147 - 4,276,147
Excess of revenues and other sources
over (under) expenditures (481,704) 289,754 (191,950)
Fund balances, beginning of year -
as previously stated 2,038,500 13,373 2,051,873
Prior period adjustments (Note 9) 95,607 - 95,607
Fund balances, beginning of year -
as restated 2,134,107 13,373 2,147,480
Fund balances, end of year $ 1,6522403 $ 303,127 $ 1,9552530
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.
4
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
COMBINED STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND
CHANGES IN FUND BALANCES - BUDGET AND ACTUAL - SPECIAL REVENUE FUND
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1994
Variance
Favorable
Revenues Budget Actual (Unfavorable)
Grants $ 49,607,962 $ 44,629,290 $ (4,978,672)
Rents 2,545,160 2,217,504 (327,656)
Interest 63,862 42,494 (21,368)
Other 161,858 466,900 305,042
Total revenues 52,378,842 47,356,188 (5,022,654)
Expenditures
Current:
Administration 3,869,060 2,970,888 898,172
Tenant services 242,856 179,774 . 63,082
Utilities 845,980 872,822 (26,842)
Maintenance 2,047,550 2,241,014 (193,464)
Protective services 304,019 164,120 139,899
General 2,161,470 1,989,063 172,407
Rehabilitation loans 282,184 376,245 (94,061)
Housing assistance payments 32,058,859 33,387,034 (1,328,175)
Grants - 71,711 (71,711)
Shelter costs 901,840 1,258,587 (356,747)
Capital additions 9,709,998 8,602,781 1,107,217
Total expenditures 52,423,816 52,114,039 309,777
Excess of revenues over (under) expenditures (44,974) (4,757,851) (4,712,877)
Other financing sources
Debt issued - 4,276,147 4,276,147
Excess of revenues and other sources
over (under) expenditures (44,974) (481,704) (436,730)
Fund balances, beginning of year -
as previously stated 2,038,500 2,038,500 -
Prior period adjustments (Note 9) 95,607 95,607 -
Fund balances, beginning of year -
as restated 2,134,107 2,134,107 -
Fund balances, end of year $ 2,089,133 $ 1,652,403 $ (439,730)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.
5
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994.
Note 1 - DEFINITION OF REPORTING ENTITY
The Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa (the Authority) was established pursuant
to the laws of the State of California in 1941. The Authority's Board of Commissioners are
appointed by the County of Contra Costa Board of Supervisors.
The Authority has implemented the provisions of the Governmental Accounting Standards
Board, codified in GASB section 2100, "Defining the Government Reporting". For financial
reporting purposes the Authority's financial statements include all funds, account groups, and
other organizations over which Authority officials exercise oversight responsibility. Oversight
responsibility includes such duties as appointment of governing body members, budget review,
approval of tax levies, responsibility for outstanding debt secured by the Authority's full faith
and credit, or revenues, and the responsibility for funding deficits.
During the year ended March 31, 1994, the Authority did not exercise oversight responsibility
over any other organizations.
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial reporting policies of the Authority conform to general accepted accounting
principles as applicable to governmental entities. The following is a summary of the more
significant policies:
(A) Basis of Presentation - Fund Accounting
The accounts of the Authority are organized on the basis of funds and account groups, each
of which is considered a separate accounting entity. The operations of each fund are
accounted for within a separate set of self-balancing accounts that comprise its assets,
liabilities, fund equity, revenues, and expenditures as appropriate. Government resources
are allocated to and accounted for in individual funds based upon the purposes for which
they are to be spent and the means by which spending activities are controlled. The
various funds are grouped by fund type in the combined general purpose financial
statements as follows:
GOVERNMENTAL FUND TYPES
Special Revenue Funds - Special Revenue Funds are used to account for the proceeds of
specific revenue sources (other than debt service funds) that are legally restricted to
expenditures for specified purposes.
Debt Service Funds - Debt Service Funds account for the accumulation of resources for,
and the payment of, general long-term debt obligation principal, interest and related costs.
6
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 2 (Continued)
FIDUCIARY FUND TYPES
Trust and Agency Funds = Trust and Agency Funds are used to account for assets held
by the Authority in a trustee capacity or as an agent for individuals, private organizations,
other governments, and/or other funds. Those include Expendable Trust and Agency
Funds. Expendable Trust Funds are accounted for in essentially the same manner as
governmental funds. Agency Funds are custodial in nature (assets equal liabilities) and
do not involve measurement of results of operations. The Authority accounts for deferred
compensation funds in a trust fund.
ACCOUNT GROUPS
General Fixed Assets Account Group - This group of accounts is established to account
for recorded fixed assets of the Authority.
General Lon-Term Debt Account Group - This group of accounts is established to
account for all general long-term obligations of the Authority.
(B) Basis of Accounting
Governmental fund types are accounted for using the modified accrual basis of accounting.
Revenues are recognized in the accounting period in which they become available and
measurable; expenditures are recognized in the accounting period in which the liability is
incurred, if measurable, except for unmatured interest in general long-term debt which is
recognized when due. Significant revenue sources that have been treated as susceptible to
accrual under the modified accrual basis include interest on investments and grants. The
revenues from grants which are received as reimbursement for specific expenditures are
recognized based upon the expenditures recorded.
(C) Total Columns on Combined Statements
Total columns on the combined statements are captioned "Memorandum Only" to indicate
that they are presented only to facilitate financial analysis. Data in these columns does not
present financial position or results of operations in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles nor is such data comparable to a consolidation. Interfund
eliminations have not been made in the aggregate of this data.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 2 (Continued)
(D) Fixed Assets
General fixed assets are valued at historical cost. Contributed general fixed assets are
recorded at fair market value at the time received. Interest expense incurred during the
development period is capitalized. The Authority records capital outlays in its respective
funds as expenditures during the year and annually records the total capital outlay in the
General Fixed Assets Account Group. No depreciation has been provided on the general
fixed assets.
(E) Collection Losses
The direct write-off method has been adopted for providing for uncollectible accounts.
(F) Encumbrances
Encumbrance accounting is not employed by the Authority.
(G) Differing Year Ends
The Authority's Aftercare Housing Assistance and Homeless Programs operate on a fiscal
year from July 1 through June 30. This differs from its other programs which have a fiscal
year ending March 31. Our operating period for these programs was July 1, 1993 through
June 30, 1994. The effect on the financial statements of these differing year ends is not
material. Due, however, to these programs having differing fiscal year ends the due
to/from other funds is not in exact agreement as reflected on the accompanying balance
sheet.
(J) Grant Restrictions
The Authority has received loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development and the California Department of Housing and Community
Development to build and improve housing projects. The grants require that only
individuals and families that meet various income, age and employment standards be
housed or aided.
Further if the fund balance of the Authority's Public Housing Program exceeds certain
levels, the excess funds must be paid to HUD.
8
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 3 - CASH AND INVESTMENTS
All cash and investments held by the Authority are maintained in checking or savings accounts
and certificates of deposits. The California Government Code requires California banks and
savings and loan associations to secure the Authority's deposits not covered by federal deposit
insurance by pledging mortgages or government securities as collateral. The market value of
mortgages must equal at least 150% of the face value of deposits. The market value of
government securities must equal at least 110% of the face value of deposits. Such collateral
must be held in the pledging bank's trust department in a separate depository in an account for
the Authority.
Note 4 - CASH WITH TRUSTEE
Funds totalling $303,204 are maintained in the Authority's name by the Bank of America,
which acts as the fiscal agent for previous bond issuances of the Authority. These funds are
required to be invested in insured or registered U.S. Government securities and commercial
paper. Funds totalling $597,176 represent assets of the deferred compensation plan and are
recorded as cash with trustee. See Note 10 for further discussion of the deferred compensation
plan.
Note 5 - PREPAID HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS
The Authority prepares and mails its Section 8 Programs' Housing Assistance Payments to the
landlords on the last working day of each month. These amounts are not actually payable until
the first working day of the following month. The reimbursement from HUD for these landlord
payments is also not received until the first working day of the following month.
The prepayment of these housing assistance payments caused the Section 8 Program Revenue
Funds to have a deficit cash balance of $2,025,792 and unreserved/undesignated fund deficit
of $1,598,961 at March 31, 1994.
Note 6 - DEFERRED LOANS
At March 31, 1994 there were $884,255 of Community Development Block Grant, $971,752
of Rental Rehabilitation Grant, and $144,784 of other loans outstanding. There are various
types of these loans. Some loans require monthly principal reductions, others are deferred over
several years. Interest rates on the loans range from zero interest to 7% per annum. Many of
these loans will be forgiven at some specific future date.
The agency elects to record the loan and interest receivable on these notes as deferred revenue.
Revenue is recognized as these loans are collected. At March 31, 1994 $167,652 of the loan
amounts awarded had not been paid to the contractors and are reflected as accounts payable
versus deferred revenue.
9
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 7 - FIXED ASSETS
The following is a summary of the Authority's changes in fixed assets for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 1994.
Balance Balance
4/1/93 Additions Deletions 3/31/94
Conventional $ 55,626,913 $ 3,297,901 $ 57,261 $ 58,867,553
Section 8 1,176,024 95,883 4,855 1,267,052
Other 1,644,539 5,208,997 - 6,853,536
$ 58,447,476 $ 8,602,781 $ 62,116 $ 66,988,141
Note 8 - LONG-TERM DEBT
Following is a summary of changes in long-term debt for the year ended March 31, 1994:
Balance Adjustments 3/31/94 Balance
4/1/93 See Note 9 Additions Deletions 3/31/94
Federal Financing
Bank Notes $ 249,344 $ - $ - $ 43,710 $ 205,634
Bonds 3,250,000 - - 230,000 3,020,000
Construction loan - 31,618 1,478,620 - 1,510,238
RHCP loan - 181,804 2,602,527 - 2,784,331
County of Contra Costa - - 195,000 - 195,000
City of Antioch - 50,000 - - 50,000
Other agencies - 72,047 - - 72,047
Compensated Absences
(Note 11) 213,014 - 40,414 - 253,428
$ 32712,358 $ 3352469 $ 4,316,561 $ 273,710 $ 82090,678
Following is a schedule of debt payment requirements to maturity for long-term obligations
other than compensated absences:
Year Ending
March 31
1995 $ 2,030,966
1996 416,859
1997 410,110
1998 414,960
1999 429,963
Thereafter 7,299,892
Less amount 11,002,750
representing interest 3,165,500
$ 7,837,250
10
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 8 (continued)
The Federal Financing Bank Notes accrue interest at 6.6% per annum and require annual
payments of $60,166. The Bonds accrue interest at 3-1/8% to 5% per annum.
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Act of 1986 (COBRA) authorized the Secretary of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development to forgive all permanent notes held by the U.S.
Treasury. In the event that the notes are not forgiven by HUD, the Conventional Program's
Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) states that all debt service requirements related to notes
will be HUD's responsibility. It is management's opinion, that the Authority is not liable for
these notes unless the federal government fails to honor the ACC, therefore, they should not be
included on the Authority's financial statements. Accordingly, $7,657,085 of permanent notes,
and interest on those notes, recorded on the Authority's books of accounts as of March 31, 1994
have not been reflected on the Authority's current financial statements.-
Per the financial reports received form HUD, there is actually $27,954,024 of permanent notes
payable, and interest on these notes, that have not been forgiven as of March 31, 1994. The
difference between the amounts of notes recorded on the Authority's books of accounts and the
amounts recorded on the HUD reports are the amount of notes reflected on part III of the HUD
report which the Authority believed had been forgiven prior to March 31, 1989.
On January 13,1993 the Authority entered into a note payable agreement with the California
Department of Housing and Community Development. The authorized loan amount is
$3,085,597 of which $2,784,331 had been drawn down as of March 31, 1994. The loan
proceeds are to be used to construct an eighty-two unit housing project in Antioch, CA. The
units are to be occupied by lower and very low income households. The loan is repayable sixty
years from the date the first completed unit is occupied. The loan bears simple interest at 3%
per annum.
Note 9 - PRIOR PERIOD ADJUSTMENTS
At March 31, 1993 the Authority reported $335,469 of loans from various agencies as current
liabilities. These loans are associated with the Casa Del Rio RHCP development project.
During the fiscal year ended March 31, 1994, the Authority determined that these loans would
be more accurately reported as long-tern debt. These loans are recorded in the General Long-
Term Debt Group of Accounts as of March 31, 1994.
In prior years, the Authority has reported $239,862 of program income associated with the
Authority's Community Development Block Grant and Residential Rehab revolving loan
programs as income. HUD requires the Authority to use program income prior to requesting
additional funds from HUD. The Authority therefore decided to report this income as unearned
grants as of March 31, 1994.
The two transactions noted above net to a prior period adjustment increasing beginning fund
balance by $95,607. This is reported on the Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures,
and Changes in Fund Balances.
11
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 10 - DEFERRED COMPENSATION
The Authority offers its employees a deferred compensation plan created in accordance with
Internal Revenue Code 457. The plan, available to all Authority employees, permits them to
defer a portion of their current salary until future years. The deferred compensation is not
available to employees until termination, retirement, death or unforeseeable emergency.
All amounts of compensation deferred under the plan, all property and rights purchased with
those amounts, and all income attributable to those amounts, property, or rights are, until paid
or made available to the employee or the beneficiary, solely the property and rights of the
Authority, without being restricted to the provisions of benefits under the plan, subject only to
the claims of the Authority's general creditors. Participants' rights under the plan are equal to
those of general creditors of the Authority in an amount equal to the fair market value of the
deferred account for each participant.
It is the Authority's position that they have a fiduciary obligation for the due care required of
a prudent investor in the management of the plan's resources but is not responsible for any loss
due to the investment or failure of investment funds and assets of the plan nor shall the
Authority be required to replace any loss which may result from such investments. In the past,
plan assets have been used for no purpose other than to pay plan benefits. The Authority
believes it is unlikely that it will use the assets to satisfy the claims of general creditors in the
future.
As of March 31, 1994, the assets of the plan, recorded at their fair market value, amounted to
$597,176. This amount is held under the Authority's name for the named employees. This
amount is reported as "Cash with trustee" on the Combined Balance Sheet.
Note 11 - COMPENSATED ABSENCES
It is the Authority's policy to permit employees to accumulate earned but unused vacation leave
up to a maximum of 240 to 560 hours depending on the employee's length of service. This
leave will be used in future periods or paid to employees upon separation from the Authority.
Accrued vacation leave has been valued by the Authority and has been recorded in the General
Long-Term Debt Account Group at $253,428 as of March 31, 1994.
It is the Authority's policy to permit employees to accumulate earned but unused sick leave;
however, the value of unused sick leave is not payable to employees upon separation from the
Authority. The cost of vacation and sick leave is recognized when payments are made to
employees, in the special revenue fund.
12
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 12 - EMPLOYER RETIREMENT PLAN
The Authority participates in a defined benefit retirement plan that is administered by the
Contra Costa county Employees' Retirement Association. All full-time employees of the
Authority participate in this plan. The plan provides death, disability and service retirement
benefits. Benefits are based on the employee's highest level of annual salary, years of service
and age at the time of retirement. The Authority's retirement plan had 82 participants at March
31, 1994. The Authority contributes 8.25% of eligible employees' annual compensation. In
addition, the Authority also paid approximately 50% of the employees' basic annual
contributions pursuant to agreements during salary negotiations. Employer contributions are
vested (1) after 10 years of service and employee attain age 50 or (2) 30 years of service
regardless of age or (3) at mandatory age regardless of the amount of service.
Employees contribute to the retirement system through biweekly payroll deductions. The xate
of contribution for employees is determined by age at the time of entrance into the system.
Employee contributions and interest thereon may be withdrawn only at termination of
employment or at retirement. Total payroll subject to contributions was $3,107,290 for the year
ended March 31, 1994. Employer contributions were $390,750 and employee contributions
were $148,461, representing 12.6% and 4.8% of payroll subject to contribution, respectively,
for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1994.
The ten year trend analysis and other disclosures required by generally accepted accounting
principles are described in the general purpose financial statements of the County of Contra
Costa, California as of June 30, 1994.
Note 13 - HEALTH INSURANCE
Health care benefits for active and retired employees are financed by the beneficiaries and by
the Authority. The Authority's contribution during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1994 for
active employees was $389,736 and for retired employees $130,997. The Authority's liability
for health care benefits is limited to its annual contribution. As of March 31, 1994, there were
95 active and 46 retired employees being covered by the Authority's health insurance.
Note 14 - FUND DEFICIT
The Management Special Revenue Fund has a $712,999 fund deficit at March 31, 1994. This
fund deficit appears to be due construction in progress for the Casa Del Rio RHCP project at
March 31, 1994. As of that date, the Authority incurred $6,694,584 of construction costs and
issued loans of $4,611,616.
13
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 15 - LEASE OBLIGATIONS
The Authority is obligated under certain leases accounted for as operating leases. Operating
leases do not give rise to property rights, therefore the results of the lease agreements are not
reflected in the Authority's account groups. Total rental expense for the year ended March 31,
1994 for all operating leases amounted to $168,097. The following is a schedule of future
minimum rental payments required under the Authority's noncancelable operating leases as of
March 31, 1994:
Year Ended
March 31
1995 $ 171,797
1996 175,477
1997 149,557
1998 74,391
$ 571,222
Note 16 - JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT - PROPERTY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE
The Authority participates in a joint venture under a joint powers agreement (JPA) with the
California Housing Authority's Risk Management Agency(CHARMA). CHARMA was formed
to provide general liability, property, and errors and omissions risk financing. In addition to
the Authority there are five other members. The Authority's property insurance has a $10,000
deductible per occurrence. The Authority's liability insurance has a $250,000 deductible per
occurrence. The relationship between the Authority and CHARMA is such that CHARMA is
not a component unit of the Authority for financial reporting purposes. CHARMA's governing
board controls the operations of the JPA, including selection of management and approval of
operating budgets independent of any influence by member authorities beyond their
representation on the board. Each member pays a premium commensurate with the level of
coverage requested and shares surpluses and deficits proportionately to their participation in
CHARMA.
Condensed audited financial information for the year ended May 31, 1993, is as follows:
Total assets $ 3,493,881
Total liabilities (1,021,352)
Total retained earnings $ 2,472,529
Total revenues $ 1,648,771
Total expenses (951,061)
Net decrease in retained earnings $ 697,710
CHARMA had no long-term debt outstanding at May 31, 1993. The Authority's share of ye&T
end assets, liabilities, or retained earnings has not been calculated.
14
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
NOTES TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Note 17 - JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT - WORKERS' COMPENSATION INSURANCE
The Authority participates in a joint venture under a joint powers agreement (JPA) with the
California Housing Workers' Compensation Authority (CHWCA). CHWCA was formed to
provide workers' compensation insurance coverage for member housing authorities. At
December 31, 1993, there were thirty-one members. The relationship between the Authority
and CHWCA is such that CHWCA is not a component unit of the Authority for financial
reporting purposes.
Condensed audited financial information for the year ended December 31, 1993, is as follows:
Total assets $ 4,628,805
Total liabilities (4 616,118)
Total retained earnings $ 12,687
Total revenues $ 3,446,413
Total expenses (3,318,387)
Net increase in retained earnings $ 128,026
CHWCA had no long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 1993. The Authority's share of
year end assets, liabilities, or retained earnings has not been calculated.
Note 18 - CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
A. Grants
The Authority has received funds from various federal, state, and local grant programs. It
is possible that at some future date it may be determined that the Authority was not in
compliance with applicable grant requirements. The amount, if any, of expenditures which
may be disallowed by the granting agencies cannot be determined at this time although the
Authority does not expect such disallowed amounts, if any, to materially affect the financial
statements.
B. Lawsuits
The Authority is a defendant in a matter of litigation. It is the opinion of management that
the ultimate resolution of this matter of litigation will not have a material effect on the
Authority's financial position.
15
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON
SCHEDULE OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31, 1994, and have issued our report thereon dated
September 21, 1994. These general purpose financial statements are the responsibility of the Housing
Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these general purpose financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and Government Auditing
Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan and
perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the general purpose financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts
and disclosures in the general purpose financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting
principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial
statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Our audit was made for the purpose of forming an opinion on the general purpose financial statements of
the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, taken as a whole. The accompanying
Schedule of Federal Financial Assistance is presented for purposes of additional analysis and is not a
required part of the general purpose financial statements. The information in that schedule has been
subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audit of the general purpose financial statements and, in
our opinion, is fairly presented in all material respects in relation to the general purpose financial statements
taken as a whole.
September 21, 1994
16
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
SCHEDULE OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1994
Federal Grantor CFDA Number Expenditures
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Direct Programs:
Public and Indian Housing 14.850 4,413,805
Public Housing - Comprehensive
Improvement Assistance Program 14.852 2,755,864
Public Housing - Comprehensive Grant Program 14.852 480,006
Public Housing - Drug Elimination Program 14.854 264,932
Section 8 Housing Voucher Program 14.177 5,919,651
Lower Income Housing Assistance Program 14.156 30,416,623
Mc Kinney Act - Emergency Shelter Program 14.231 173,000
Passed through the State of California
Housing and Community Development:
Lower Income Housing Assistance Program 14.156 817,839
Mc Kinney Act - Emergency Shelter Program 14.231 25,952
Passed through the County of Contra Costa:
Supportive Housing Program 14.178 1,029,311
Community Development Block Grant 14.218 222,953
Rental Housing Rehabilitation 14.230 237,300
Total HUD 46,757,236
Department of Health and Human Services (HH&S)
Passed Through the County of Contra Costa:
Health Care for the Homeless Program 93.151 27,796
Total HH&S 27,796
* Major federal financial assistance program.
17
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
SCHEDULE OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
Federal Grantor CFDA Number Expenditures
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Passed Through the United Way:
Disaster Assistance 83.516 28,456
Total FEMA 28,456
Total federal expenditures $ 46,813,488
* Major federal financial assistance program.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.
18
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON
COMPLIANCE BASED ON AN AUDIT OF GENERAL
PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERFORMED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31, 1994, and have issued our report thereon dated
September 21, 1994.
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and GovernmentAudi ting
Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the general purpose financial statements
are free of material misstatement.
Compliance with laws, regulations, contracts, and grants applicable to the Housing Authority of the County
of Contra Costa, California, is the responsibility of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa,
California's management. As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the general purpose
financial statements are free of material misstatement, we performed tests of the Authority's compliance with
certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grants. However, the objective of our audit of the
general purpose financial statements was not to provide an opinion on overall compliance with such
provisions. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
The results of our tests indicate that, with respect to the items tested, the Housing Authority of the County
of Contra Costa, California, complied, in all material respects, with the provisions referred to in the
preceding paragraph. With respect to items not tested, nothing came to our attention that caused us to
believe that the Authority had not complied, in all material respects, with those provisions.
We noted certain immaterial instances of noncompliance that are included in the accompanying schedule
of findings and recommendations.
This report is intended for the information of the Board of Commissioners, management, and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, this report is a matter of public record and its
distribution is not limited.
September 21, 1994
19
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON COMPLIANCE WITH
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO
FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31, 1994, and have issued our report thereon dated
September 21, 1994.
We have applied procedures to test the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California,
compliance with the following requirements applicable to its federal financial assistance programs, which
are identified in the Schedule of Federal Financial Assistance, for the year ended March 31, 1994.
Political Activity
Davis - Bacon Act
Civil Rights
Cash Management
Federal Financial Reports
Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Allowable Costs/Cost Principles
Drug-Free Workplace
Administrative Requirements
Our procedures were limited to the applicable procedures described in the Office of Management and
Budget's Compliance Supplement for Single Audits of State and Local Governments. Our procedures were
substantially less in scope than an audit, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion on Housing
Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California compliance with the requirements listed in the preceding
paragraph. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
With respect to the items tested, the results of those procedures disclosed no material instances of
noncompliance with the requirements listed in the second paragraph of this report. With respect to items
not tested, nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that the Housing Authority of the County
of Contra Costa, California, had not complied, in all material respects, with those requirements. However,
the results of our procedures disclosed immaterial instances of noncompliance with those requirements,
which are described in the accompanying schedule of findings and recommendations.
This report is intended for the information of the Board of Commissioners, management, and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, this report is a matter of public record and its
distribution is not limited.
September 21, 1994
20
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON COMPLIANCE WITH
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO MAJOR
FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31, 1994, and have issued our report thereon dated
September 21, 1994.
We have also audited the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California's compliance with
the requirements governing types of services allowed or unallowed; eligibility; reporting; special tests and
provisions for 14.156 - Lower Income Housing Assistance Program, 14.177 - Section 8 Housing Voucher
Program and 14.852 - Public Housing-Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program; and claims for
advances and reimbursements that are applicable to each of its major federal financial assistance programs,
which are identified in the accompanying schedule of federal financial assistance, for the year ended March
31, 1994. The management of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, is
responsible for the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California's compliance with those
requirements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on compliance with those requirements based on
our audit.
We conducted our audit of compliance with those requirements in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards; Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States;
and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-128, Audits of State and Local Governments.
Those standards and OMB Circular A-128 require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether material noncompliance with the requirements referred to above occurred. An audit
includes examining, on a test basis, evidence about the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa,
California's compliance with those requirements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for
our opinion.
The results of our audit procedures disclosed immaterial instances of noncompliance with the requirements
referred to above, which are described in the accompanying schedule of findings and recommendations. We
considered these instances of noncompliance in forming our opinion on compliance, which is expressed in
the following paragraph.
21
In our opinion, the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, complied, in all material
respects, with the requirements governing types of services allowed or unallowed; eligibility; reporting;
special tests and provisions for 14.156 - Lower Income Housing Assistance Program, 14.177 - Section 8
Housing Voucher Program and 14.852 - Public Housing-Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program;
and claims for advances and reimbursements that are applicable to each of its major federal financial
assistance programs for the year ended March 31, 1994.
This report is intended for the information of the Board of Commissioners, management and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, this report is a matter of public record and its
distribution is not limited.
September 21, 1994
22
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON THE INTERNAL CONTROL
STRUCTURE BASED ON AN AUDIT OF GENERAL
PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERFORMED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31, 1994, and have issued our report thereon dated
September 21, 1994.
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and Government Auditing
Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the general purpose financial statements
are free of material misstatement.
In planning and performing our audit of the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority
of the County of Contra Costa, California, for the year ended March 31, 1994, we considered its internal
control structure in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on
the general purpose financial statements and not to provide reasonable assurance on the internal control
structure.
The management of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, is responsible for
establishing and maintaining an internal control structure. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and
judgements by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of internal control
structure policies and procedures. The objectives of an internal control structure are to provide management
with reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that assets are safeguarded against loss from unauthorized use
or disposition, that transactions are executed in accordance with management's authorization and recorded
properly to permit the preparation of general purpose financial statements in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles. Because of inherent limitations in any internal control structure, errors,
irregularities, or instances of noncompliance may nevertheless occur and not be detected. Also, projection
of any evaluation of the structure to future periods is subject to the risk that procedures may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the design and operation of policies
and procedures may deteriorate.
23
For the purpose of this report, we have classified the significant internal control structure policies and
procedures in the following categories:
Cycles of the Entity's Activity
Revenue/Receipts
Purchases/Disbursements
Payroll
General Requirements
Political Activity
Davis - Bacon Act
Civil Rights
Cash Management
Federal Financial Reports
Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Allowable Costs/Cost Principles
Drug-Free Workplace
Administrative Requirements
Claims for Advances and Reimbursements
Specific Requirements
Types of Services Allowed or Unallowed
Eligibility
Reporting
Special Tests and Provisions
For all of the internal control structure categories listed above, we obtained an understanding of the design
of relevant policies and procedures and whether they have been placed in operation, and we assessed control
risk.
Our consideration of the internal control structure would not necessarily disclose all matters in the internal
control structure that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants. A material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of one
or more of the internal control structure elements does not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that errors
and irregularities in amounts that would be material in relation to the general purpose financial statements
being audited may occur and not be detected within a timely period by employees in the normal course of
performing their assigned functions. We noted no matters involving the internal control structure and its
operations that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined above.
However, we noted certain matters involving the internal control structure and its operations that we have
reported to the management of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, in a
separate letter dated September 21, 1994.
24
This report is intended for the information of the Board of Commissioners, management, and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, this report is a matter of public record and its
distribution is not limited.
September 21, 1994
25
HARN & ROWE
Certified Public Accountants
2255 Morello Avenue
Suite 209
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(510) 686-5550 • Fax (510) 686-5814
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON THE
INTERNAL CONTROL STRUCTURE USED IN ADMINISTERING
FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
To the Board of Commissioners
Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa
Martinez, California
We have audited the general purpose financial statements of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra
Costa, California, as of and for the year ended March 31, 1994, and have issued our report thereon dated
September 21, 1994. We have also audited the compliance of the Housing Authority of the County of
Contra Costa, California, with requirements applicable to major federal financial assistance programs and
have issued our report thereon dated September 21, 1994.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards; Government Auditing
Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; and Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circular A-128,Audits of State and Local Governments. Those standards and OMB Circular A-128
require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the general purpose
financial statements are free of material misstatement and about whether the Housing Authority of the
County of Contra Costa, California, complied with laws and regulations, noncompliance with which would
be material to a major federal financial assistance program.
In planning and performing our audits for the year ended March 31, 1994, we considered the internal control
structure of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, in order to determine our
auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinions on the general purpose financial statements
of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, and on the compliance of the Housing
Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, with requirements applicable to major programs, and
to report on the internal control structure in accordance with OMB Circular A-128. This report addresses
our consideration of internal control structure policies and procedures relevant to compliance with
requirements applicable to federal financial assistance programs. We have addressed internal control
structure policies and procedures relevant to our audit of the general purpose financial statements in a
separate report dated September 21, 1994.
The management of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, is responsible for
establishing and maintaining an internal control structure. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and
judgements by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of internal control
structure policies and procedures. The objectives of an internal control structure are to provide management
with reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that assets are safeguarded against loss from unauthorized use
or disposition, that transactions are executed in accordance with management's authorization and recorded
properly to permit the preparation of general purpose financial statements in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, and that federal financial assistance programs are managed in compliance
26
with applicable laws and regulations. Because of inherent limitations in any internal control structure, errors,
irregularities, or instances of noncompliance may nevertheless occur and not be detected. Also, projection
of any evaluation of the structure to future periods is subject to the risk that procedures may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the design and operation of policies
and procedures may deteriorate.
For the purpose of this report, we have classified the significant internal control structure policies and
procedures used in administering federal financial assistance programs in the following categories:
Cycles of the Entity's Activity
Revenue/Receipts
Purchases/Disbursements
Payroll
General Requirements
Political Activity
Davis - Bacon Act
Civil Rights
Cash Management
Federal Financial Reports
Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Allowable Costs/Cost Principles
Drug-Free Workplace
Administrative Requirements
Claims for Advances and Reimbursements
Specific Requirements
Types of Services Allowed or Unallowed
Eligibility
Reporting
Special Tests and Provisions
For all of the internal control structure categories listed above, we obtained an understanding of the design
of relevant policies and procedures and determined whether they have been placed in operations, and we
assessed control risk.
During the year ended March 31, 1994, the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California,
expended 93010 of its total federal financial assistance under major federal financial assistance programs.
We performed tests of controls, as required by OMB Circular A-128, to evaluate the effectiveness of the
design and operation of internal control structure policies and procedures that we considered relevant to
preventing or detecting material noncompliance with specific requirements, general requirements, and
requirements governing claims for advances and reimbursements that are applicable to each of the Housing
Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California's major federal financial assistance programs, which
are identified in the accompanying schedule of Federal Financial Assistance. Our procedures were less in
✓ 27
scope than would be necessary to render an opinion on these internal control structure policies and
procedures. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
Our consideration of the internal control structure policies and procedures used in administering federal
financial assistance would not necessarily disclose all matters in the internal control structure that might
constitute material weaknesses under standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants. A material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of one or more of the
internal control structure elements does not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that noncompliance with
laws and regulations that would be material to a federal financial assistance program may occur and not be
detected within a timely period by employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions.
We noted no matters involving the internal control structure and its operations that we considered to be
material weaknesses as defined above.
However, we noted certain matters involving the internal control structure and its operations that we have
reported to the management of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa, California, in a
separate letter dated September 21, 1994.
This report is intended for the information of the Board of Commissioners, management, and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, this report is a matter of public record and its
distribution is not limited.
September 21, 1994
28
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
STATUS OF PRIOR AUDIT FINDINGS
MARCH 31, 1994
The previous audit report for the year ended March 31, 1993 contained the following audit
finding:
1. Tenant Files and Rent Rolls (CFDA #14.156 and #14.850)
During our prior audit we noted errors in various tenant files. During our current audit we
again noted errors in tenant files. See current finding #1.
29
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
MARCH 31, 1994
1. Tenant Files - Lower Income Housing Assistance and Section 8 Housing Voucher
Programs (CFDA #14.156 & #14.177) And Public Housing Program (CFDA #14.850)
We reviewed the files of nine Lower Income Housing Assistance Program, three Section 8
Housing Voucher Program and sixteen Public Housing Program tenants. We noted the
following exceptions:
CFDA #14.850
1. One tenant file examined did not contain a lease agreement.
2. The amount of security deposit payable per one tenant's lease did not agree to the
amount of security deposit per the accounting records.
3. For six of the files examined there was no documentation indicating that an annual
unit inspection had been performed.
4. The annual re-certification for one tenant was performed late.
CFDA #14.156 And #14.177
5. The rent reasonableness documentation, kept in the tenant files, is not dated, making
it difficult to determine when the rent was determined to be reasonable. For three
files examined there was no documentation in the file to indicate that the rent
reasonableness determination had been performed.
We recommend that the Authority review its tenant files to ensure all of the required
documentation is present, accurate and prepared in a timely manner.
Authority's Response - The Housing Authority concurs with the findings and appropriate
corrective action has been taken.
30
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA
FINDING AND RECOMMENDATIONS
MARCH 31, 1994
(Continued)
2. Drug-Free Workplace Policy (All Programs)
During our review of the Authority's compliance with the requirements of the Drug-Free
Workplace Act we were unable to locate any documentation verifying that employees hired
after March 31, 1989 had been made aware of the Authority's drug-free workplace policy.
We recommend that the Authority incorporate its drug-free workplace policy as part of its
personnel policies and ensure that all employees are made aware of and understand the
policy.
Authority's Response - The Housing Authority concurs with the recommendation and
appropriate corrective action will be taken to insure that newly hired employees are aware
of the Housing Authority's compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act. Existing
employees will also be made aware of the agency's compliance with the Act.
3. Performance Funding System (CFDA #14.850)
During our review of the forms prepared for the calculation of operating subsidy we noted
an error in the calculated amount of subsidy. This mistake resulted in the operating subsidy
being overstated by $75,488 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1994.
Upon learning of the mistake the Authority reviewed its operating subsidy calculations for
the past several years to ensure that all incorrect calculations were determined. Subsequent
to March 31, 1994 the Authority submitted revised operating budgets to HUD for the fiscal
year ended March 31, 1995. These revised budgets reflected the correction of operating
subsidies for prior years. As the Authority has already received all of its earned operating
subsidy for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1995, it is expected that HUD will recover the
excess operating subsidies by reducing the amount it remits the Authority for the fiscal year
ended March 31, 1996.
As this appears to be an isolated mistake no further recommendation is considered
necessary.
Authority's Response- The Housing Authority concurs with the auditor's recommendation
and appropriate corrective action has been taken.
31