Hospital Construction
Financial Information on HUD's Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program Gao ID: HRD-89-14 December 22, 1988Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the financial status of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program.
GAO found that: (1) HUD administered the program from its General Insurance Fund, which had incurred a cumulative operating deficit of over $2.6 billion as of December 31, 1987; (2) although HUD estimated that the deficit would increase by $236.5 million, Section 242 hospital mortgages would not contribute to the increase, since they would produce an operating surplus of $7.7 million; (3) the program could incur a deficit if one or more hospitals with large mortgages defaulted; (4) as of August 1988, 160 Section 242 mortgages were in force, with original principal totalling over $4.7 billion and unpaid principal totalling about $4.5 billion; and (5) 6 of the 160 mortgages were in default, totalling about $67 million in potential claims against HUD by lenders, but HUD expected to reinstate 4 of those mortgages.