The state of Oregon’s housing agency lost track of $426 million in federal pandemic-era funds for emergency rental assistance (ERA), according to a new state audit.
In the 43-page audit released Thursday, the Oregon Audits Division revealed that Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) couldn’t definitively say where the millions designated to the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program ended up.
“The agency has no way of knowing how much of the $426 million went to eligible Oregon recipients and how much was sent to landlords, renters and non-eligible recipients in error,” read the audit.
OHCS also told auditors that it couldn’t quantify the amount of ERA funds distributed or the number of applicants who received funding. The number of total applicants paid shifted from just over 56,000 to over 67,000 in the auditors’ investigation.
The auditors also determined…
