Homeownership Centers Use Numerous Systems to Support Their Operations

While more than 20 different information systems support single-family operations, the homeownership centers currently rely on 7 major information systems to oversee lenders and contractors and provide customer service. In addition to these major systems, the centers have developed specialized databases to help them fulfill their missions. Therefore, these systems do not adequately support the centers’ efforts to oversee lenders and contractors and provide customer service. HUD’s Plans to Improve Its Single- Family Information Systems Are in the Early Stages

To better ensure that FHA’s single-family information systems support the homeownership centers’ operations, HUD’s Office of the Chief Information Officer is developing an enterprise architecture, and its Office of Single Family Housing is planning improvements to specific information systems. As part of its efforts to develop an enterprise architecture for the Department as a whole, the Office of the Chief Information Officer plans to complete its definition of FHA’s baseline architecture by the fall of 2001. By January 2002, it expects to define some aspects of the Department’s target architecture. We reviewed documents describing FHA’s single-family information systems and telephone systems.
What GAO Found

The Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) homeownership centers use more than 20 different information systems implemented by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters, including seven major systems, databases developed by the centers, and various different telephone systems. Some of these technologies were implemented before FHA formed the centers and transferred some responsibilities to lenders and contractors. Others were implemented later, to help FHA staff oversee lenders and contractors and provide customer service. Although homeownership center staff have developed specialized databases to help them better meet their responsibilities, neither FHA's single-family information systems nor its telephone systems adequately support the centers' efforts. To better ensure that FHA's single-family information systems support current center operations, HUD is developing a systems blueprint, or enterprise architecture. HUD's Office of the Chief Information Officer plans to finish defining the current capabilities of FHA's information systems by the fall of 2001 and to have partially defined the desired capabilities of all the Department's information systems by January 2002.