FEMA Should Disallow $9.6 Million of Disaster-Related Costs Incurred by the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana

he Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (Louisiana), a FEMA grantee, awarded the Foundation $11.2 million for damages resulting from Hurricane Katrina, which occurred on August 29, 2005. The award provided 100 percent funding for 12 large projects.1 The audit covered the period August 29, 2005, through January 9, 2014, the cutoff date of our audit, and included a review of 12 large projects totaling $11.2 million, or all projects (see Exhibit, Schedule of Projects Audited).2 At the time of our audit, the Foundation had completed all 12 projects and had claimed $5.3 million, but had not requested any projects be closed. Therefore, all of the projects remained open.