Homelessness

GAO described the status of the homeless program reports mandated under the Homeless Assistance Act, to: (1) increase policymakers' knowledge about homelessness; and (2) improve federal effectiveness in assisting the homeless.

GAO found that: (1) as of April 1990, 7 federal agencies and the Interagency Council on the Homeless issued 6 of the 16 required one-time reports, had not issued 7 due reports, and had not issued 1 report that was not yet due; (2) Congress had not funded 2 programs for which reports were required; (3) the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had the most one-time reporting requirements, but had only issued one of the reports, even though its due dates had passed; (4) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had still not met one of its one-time reporting requirements; (5) federal agencies had issued 8 of the 10 required annual reports due for fiscal year (FY) 1988; (6) for FY 1988, HUD was the only agency that had not issued its annual report on tenants' first-refusal right, and did not prepare a remaining report because Congress had not funded the program; (7) federal agencies issued 7 of the 10 required annual reports due for FY 1989; (8) only HUD and HHS had not issued their FY 1989 reports, and did not issue a remaining report because Congress had not funded the program; (9) HUD and HHS personnel were uncertain when unissued reports would be approved and transmitted to the Congress.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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