B4 housing from B1


spending challenged in the audit. Edmonds noted thatHUDaward- ed the citymore than $12million incompetitive grants this year. Buck investigated the depart-


ment’s spending under HUD’s af- fordable housing program be- tween October 2006 and April 2009. The District has received more than $35 million in grants under the program, known as HOME, since the beginning of the audit period. This year’s budget for DHCD totals more than $100 million, with more than $80 mil- lion coming from various federal programs. Much of theHOME fundswere


directed into the city’s popular Home Purchase Assistance and Single Family Residential Reha- bilitation programs. But the audit foundthatmorethan$1millionin federal funds paid for renovations and down-payment assistance on homes that exceeded affordability guidelines,which restrict funding to homes worth no more than 95 percent of themedian home value intheDistrict. TheDistricthasagreedtorepay


nearly $700,000 but requested a waiver for the remainder. It has not been granted, but Edmonds saidthe citywill appeal. The audit also identified one affordable-housing project that


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KLMNO Audit faultsD.C. housing department


tied upmore than $2.5million for more than eight years before it finally was canceled. The city awardedthemoneyin2001 toSafe Haven Outreach Ministries to build48unitsof transitionalhous- ing for the homeless in Ward 7. Though federal guidelines call for construction to begin no more than one year after a grant is dis- bursed,cityofficials repeatedlyex- tended the grant agreementwith- out informingHUD of the delays. DHCD withdrew funding for the project inOctober. Marsha Richerson, executive


director of SafeHaven, said unex- pected delays plagued the project. “Itwascraziness,”shesaid. “Thisis my fourth [HUD-funded] project. I’veneverhadanythinglike this in my life.” She said the nonprofit planned


to renovate three run-downbuild- ings but lost time getting zoning approval and appealing a proper- ty tax bill.Architectural plans had to be redrawn and parts of build- ings torn down. Then a bank that had promised $1.5million backed out, leaving Safe Haven unable to move forward. Richerson said the District ex-


tendedconstructiondeadlinesbe- cause the delayswere beyond Safe Haven’s control. “The [city] knew everything,” she said. “They knew about thedelays.Theyknewabout thepropertytaxes.Theyknewthat


wehada credibledefense.” Edmonds wrote in an official


response to the HUD audit that her agency “acknowledges we did not keep HUD informed of all these delays as they occurred” but “felt the fundamental feasibilityof theproject continuedto exist.” Theauditalsocriticizedthe city


for sendingfederal funds toacom- munity-based organization that it claims did not meet HUD’s stan- dards for such groups. Auditors saidMi Casa, a nonprofit based in Ward 4 that was granted more than $700,000, did not meet a requirement that one-third of its board members live in low-in- come communities. Mi Casa and DHCD disputed


the audit’s findings. “We comply with every requirement,” Fernan- do Lemos,Mi Casa’s executive di- rector, said. He said the group usedthe federalmoney todevelop single-familyhousesandhelplow- income tenantspurchase andren- ovate rental buildings. D.C. Council member Michael


A. Brown (I-At Large), who over- sees thehousingdepartment, said the problems identified by the au- dit “may just be a technical issue andnot a substantive issue.” “Hopefully, it’s an easy fix,” he


said. “If itdoes turnout tobemore than just technical, there will ab- solutely be ahearing.” debonism@washpost.com


LOTTERIES December 29


DISTRICT Mid-Day Lucky Numbers: Mid-Day D.C. 4: Mid-Day DC-5:


Lucky Numbers (Tue.): Lucky Numbers (Wed.): D.C. 4 (Tue.): D.C. 4 (Wed.): DC-5 (Tue.): DC-5 (Wed.):


MARYLAND Mid-Day Pick 3: Mid-Day Pick 4:


Night/Pick 3 (Tue.): Pick 3 (Wed.): Pick 4 (Tue.): Pick 4 (Wed.): Match 5 (Tue.): Match 5 (Wed.):


VIRGINIA Day/Pick-3:


4-1-0 2-5-8-2


3-4-7-0-8 6-9-4 6-0-9


3-0-6-4 7-6-6-4


6-1-6-6-4 9-9-5-1-7


7-8-1


0-1-5-3 1-3-9 3-0-0


6-9-9-2 6-0-6-3


3-4-9-21-37 *28 6-27-30-31-35 *7


9-1-6


Pick-4: Cash-5:


Night/Pick-3 (Tue.): Pick-3 (Wed.): Pick-4 (Tue.): Pick-4 (Wed.): Cash-5 (Tue.): Cash-5 (Wed.): Win for Life:


2-8-2-5


1-11-13-19-25 4-9-5 N/A


2-7-9-1 N/A


1-9-10-16-30 N/A N/A


MULTI-STATEGAMES Mega Millions: Powerball:


Power Play:


Hot Lotto: *Bonus Ball


6 †Hot Ball **Mega Ball


6-18-36-40-49 **7 N/A N/A N/A


***Powerball ‡Free Ball


For late drawings and out-of-area results, check washingtonpost.com/lottery


PHOTOS BY MATT MCCLAIN/THE WASHINGTON POST


Relatives follow the casket of Army Spec.Kelly J.Mixon, 23, during a burial ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.


Mixon, of Yulee, Fla., was killed on Dec. 8 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, when his unit was attacked by an insurgent armed with a makeshift bomb.


A soldier is laid to rest


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2010


VRE shifts to limited schedule for holiday Virginia Railway Express will


operate on a modified schedule Thursday and will not run trains Friday in observance of the com- ingNewYear’s holiday. On Thursday, VRE will operate


on the “S” schedule, with only four trains operating on each of theFredericksburgandManassas


lines for the morning and after- noon commutes. On the Fredericksburg Line,


trains 302, 306, 310 and 312 will operate in the morning, and trains 301, 303, 307 and 311 will operate in the afternoon and eve- ning. On the Manassas Line, trains


324, 328, 330 and 332 will operate in the morning, and trains 325, 327, 331 and 335 will operate later in the day. There will be no service Satur-


day. The regular schedule will re-


sumeMonday. —Jennifer Buske


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