Audit Identifies Weak Oversight in NYC Housing Voucher Program
An audit released by Comptroller DiNapoli of New York City’s largest housing voucher program found that weak oversight and administrative lapses are contributing to rising costs and placing some vulnerable families in unsafe housing. The program, known as the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) is overseen by the New York City Department of Social Services, and it is designed to help low-income New Yorkers avoid homelessness. It’s projected to cost the city $1.2 billion in city Fiscal Year 2025, up from $176 million in 2019.
“Stronger oversight of the CityFHEPS program is critical to helping individuals and families access safe housing and stay in their communities,” DiNapoli said. “Improving how the program operates will better protect tenants and taxpayer dollars.”
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State Health Department Oversight of Lead Service Line Replacement Program Needs Improvement
An audit released by Comptroller DiNapoli found a lack of sufficient controls and guidance from the Department of Health for a state program intended to help municipalities replace lead drinking water service lines. The audit found millions of dollars in state funds left unused or spent on administrative costs rather than replacing lead lines and found that some communities with children with higher blood lead levels were not prioritized.
“Lead in drinking water poses a serious threat to public health, and can especially harm children, who are at greatest risk because their bodies and brains are still developing,” DiNapoli said. “New York State has worked to address this hazard by targeting funding towards finding and replacing lead water service lines, but my auditors found the Department of Health could improve its oversight. Although the cost to replace lead service lines in the state far exceeds available funding, better guidance could help ensure any additional funds allocated for this purpose will be more effectively deployed.”
Comptroller DiNapoli also released a global report summarizing the findings and recommendations from an audit series that examined school districts’ compliance with testing for lead in sources of drinking water.
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Op-Ed: When Federal Policy Undermines College Access, New York Pays the Price
Comptroller DiNapoli and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities President Lola W. Brabham co-authored an op-ed in the New York Daily News on how new federal policy changes to lending undermine college access for students in New York. An excerpt is below:
For generations, higher education has powered New York’s promise of opportunity. Across New York State, public and private, not-for-profit colleges and universities educate more than 1.1 million students each year including the nurses, teachers, engineers, social workers, and entrepreneurs who sustain our workforce and fuel our economy.
But today, that ecosystem is under threat. Over 200,000 students across New York could see their education and opportunities cut short, based on projections from EY-Parthenon’s statewide analysis of federal loan caps.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” of July 2025 represents the most significant overhaul of federal student lending since the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act, which enhanced borrower protections, created Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and lowered interest rates for millions of students. Unlike those reforms, the new law sharply restricts access to higher education based on wealth.
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M U N I C I P A L & S C H O O L A U D I T S
- School Districts – Lead in Water: Testing and Reporting
- Delaware County Industrial Development Agency – Project Monitoring and Website Transparency
- Steuben County – Safeguarding Computerized Data
- West Henrietta Fire Department, Inc. – Treasurer
- Genesee Valley Fire Department, Inc. – Treasurer
- Valley Stream Central High School District – Capital Assets
- Great Neck Park District – Capital Assets
- Town of Edinburg – Town Supervisor’s Records and Reports
- Village of Weedsport – Financial Management
- Village of Manlius – Financial Reports
- County of Oneida – County Clerk
- Town of Hornellsville – Distribution of Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Proceeds
A L S O I N T H E N E W S
- New audit points to potential savings for rental aid program that Mamdani pledged to expand
- Audit faults NYS lead pipe replacement program
- State audit says Anthem Blue Cross failed to recover $19.3M for Empire Plan
- New York state updates Farmland Protection program after comptroller audit
- Gen-Z, millennials leaving New York for better financial climate, report shows
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