Taking Program Integrity to the Next Level

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

Program integrity is a high priority for the County of San Diego’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Federal funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program has been significantly reduced and the region has a waiting list of 86,000 families needing housing assistance. As a result, HCD goes the extra mile to ensure that the families receiving benefits are eligible and comply with program rules. HCD uses various methods to verify compliance, including unannounced house visits, partnerships with law enforcement, investigative techniques and collaboration with other public agencies. Additionally, HCD maintains a Fraud Hotline for the public to submit program abuse tips anonymously. HCD also does public outreach to increase fraud reporting awareness and to assert its efforts with program integrity. To demonstrate regional leadership in program integrity, HCD hosted the first annual regional collaboration event, A Conversation about Fraud Investigative Best Practices. The event provided a forum to share investigative techniques and included discussions on fraud detection, interview protocols, overpayment collection, and establishing partnerships with other public agencies. It was attended by housing authorities across Southern California, and staff from the local District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General.