- Audit finds that agency improves timeliness of processing financial assistance packages -

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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. issued a follow-up audit today finding that the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) continues to not fully meet the needs of its clients.

The audit follows up a June 2003 audit that detailed how HASA, which is within the Human Resources Administration, was failing to adequately process applications for permanent housing and requests for financial assistance. That audit found that HASA processed only 44 percent of sampled financial assistance request packages within the required five business days.

The new audit shows that HASA only has implemented one recommendation made by the Comptroller in 2003, partially implemented three, and did not implement three.

“While this follow-up audit found some improvement, I am troubled that HASA has resisted making a number of changes that would better serve individuals who often desperately need a roof over their heads and money to make ends meet,” Thompson said.  “People continue to look to the City for help and instead face delays and roadblocks.”

HASA was created in fiscal year 2000 to replace the Division of AIDS Services within HRA. HASA is responsible for expediting access to essential benefits and services needed by persons living with AIDS and HIV-related illnesses and their families. HASA provides social, financial, and vocational services to eligible individuals and families, as well as housing assistance, including permanent and transitional housing, to those who are homeless or potentially homeless.

Thompson’s new audit, which covered July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006, can be viewed at www.comptroller.nyc.gov. The audit determined that:

• HASA revised and updated its procedures manual to better identify the major steps in the process of placing clients in permanent housing, the responsibilities of key staff members and supervisors, and the maintenance of important documents.

• HASA updated its computer systems to allow case managers, housing specialists, and management to better track the progress of applications from the date of application to placement.

• However, there is a lack of evidence on the computer systems that the case managers scheduled any of the client interviews with permanent housing providers, as required in the HASA procedures manual.

• Additionally, while the Eligibility Unit appears to be making decisions on financial assistance requests within five working days and approved payments are issued within 30 calendar days, the field centers are not consistently providing the requests to the Eligibility Unit within three working days, as required by the HASA procedures manual.

• HASA has improved the timeliness of its processing of financial assistance packages. However, the packages often lacked essential documents.

The Comptroller made five recommendations, asking HRA to: program the HASA Web – which allows staff to access HASA housing information - to provide information on the scheduling of client interviews with housing providers; and endeavor to obtain more timely communication between providers and housing specialists on the results of interviews.

Thompson further recommended that HRA: ensure that the field centers maintain signed copies of clients’ housing applications; identify the causes for delays in forwarding completed Case By Case Financial Assessment (CBCFA) packages to the Eligibility Unit; and, ensure that case managers, eligibility specialists, supervisors and center directors adequately review CBCFA packages to make sure all required documentation is completed.

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