Cost Overruns Pervasive for CBP Housing
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) vastly overpaid for an overly elaborate employee housing project in remote Ajo, Arizona, a new Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, report has found.
OIG Report No. OIG 14-131, “CBP Did Not Effectively Plan and Manage Employee Housing in Ajo, Arizona,” found that CBP paid an average of $680,000 each to build 21 single-family homes in Ajo, where home prices average $86,500. The units are for CBP employees stationed on and near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Specifically, the OIG found that CBP:
·Paid a premium price for land;
·Built two- and three-bedroom family-style houses rather than the recommended one -bedroom apartment-style housing; and
·Included nonessential items and amenities in the project without adequate justification.
“This is a classic example of inadequate planning and management leading to wasteful spending,” said Inspector General John Roth. “This project could have been completed at much less cost to the taxpayers.”
Read Report: OIG 14-131- CBP Did Not Effectively Plan and Manage Employee Housing in Ajo, Arizona
OIG Spolight
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