Agencies Could Do More to Convert Properties to Aid Homeless

For decades, agencies seeking to sell off unneeded facilities have been required to offer groups that help the homeless a shot at acquiring or leasing their empty space.

But too often the Defense and Housing and Urban Development departments operating under Base Closure and Realignment Commission rules fail to track the extent to which the properties are being used for the homeless and publish confusing solicitations on property availability, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday.

Of 125 large and small bases addressed in the 2005 BRAC, local development authorities at 39 have agreed to assist a total of 75 homeless advocates on 50 parcels -- aid worth $29 million, auditors said. However, unlike the government’s direct Title V homeless assistance program, “DoD and HUD do not require tracking of the status of the homeless assistance conveyances,” GAO found.

“Neither DOD nor HUD know the extent to which properties are actually being conveyed; the extent to which the providers are using the properties for their intended use; the extent to which [local redevelopment authorities] are making sufficient efforts to find a replacement provider in the event of a provider dropping out; and ultimately the effectiveness of the homeless assistance program,” the watchdog found.

In addition, GAO evaluated 75 organizations that provide services to the homeless whose notices of interest the agencies rejected. It identified 17 examples where the locals and HUD agreed that the notices of interest were incomplete. But “providers said they needed more shared and specific guidance on what to include. While the regulations provide general information about what should be included, not all participants in the BRAC process were aware of the regulations,” auditors found.

HUD also lacked sufficient resources to respond to proposals within the 60-day deadline.

“HUD has not developed options to address reviewing the surge of plans in any future BRAC rounds,” GAO said. “Without a means to ensure that needed staff resources are dedicated to HUD's review process, it will be difficult for HUD to provide reasonable assurance that the delays experienced during the BRAC 2005 round will not be repeated.”

Auditors visited 11 sites in Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California, and contacted 12 others by phone.

The report recommended that the Pentagon and HUD track conveyance data and clarify information on the required steps of the process for using federal property to assist the homeless, including posting conditions of properties on a public website. The agencies for the most part agreed.

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