The NSPIRE Scoring Notice does not apply to the Housing Choice Voucher and Project-Based Voucher programs and does not revise the inspection frequencies established under the applicable program regulations.

LeadingAge previously worked with HUD to delay scoring for the affirmative standards and applauds HUD for providing a grace period for providers, who were still required to fix any deficiencies that were not scored; however, the agency published the notice to end the “grace period” for certain scored standards just a day prior to the change taking effect; LeadingAge calls on HUD to provide more timely information in the future.

Comments are due to HUD by November 30, and LeadingAge will work with our membership to submit our feedback.

Scoring Deficiencies under HUD’s NSPIRE Protocol

When HUD rolled out its new protocol for housing safety inspections, the agency updated approaches to scoring, standards, and administrative procedures. Specifically, the NSPIRE Scoring Notice established the methodology for weighing deficiencies identified during inspections conducted under the NSPIRE Standards and for scoring those deficiencies for each program. The Scoring Notice also established the gradations and severity levels applicable to each deficiency under the scoring methodology, as well as the compliance date for the new affirmative requirements for HUD housing subject to NSPIRE, which LeadingAge advocated to delay because of the breadth and cost of physical asset changes that housing communities needed to undertake – as long as properties were still held accountable for fixing the deficiencies, which in some cases related to life-threatening situations at the property and required a fix within 24 hours.

Scoring Affirmative Requirements

NSPIRE implemented certain new, affirmative requirements, or property attributes that must be present at the property, as opposed to HUD’s previous approach of inspecting only the functionality of items present. The new affirmative requirements related to minimum standards for fire labeled doors, ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), guardrails, HVAC, lightly, and electrical components.

Like with other standards, when a property does not meet these requirements, it constitutes a defect in the inspection and likely results in point deductions from the property’s score. Because the affirmative requirements established a new type of inspectable standard, the NSPIRE Scoring Notice provided properties with a 12-month period before scoring the new affirmative requirements; this was extended twice in response to feedback from LeadingAge members adapting to the new requirements. Importantly, during the extension periods, the defaults were not scored but were still required to be fixed on strict and expedient timelines.

HUD’s “grace period” has now ended; beginning October 1, 2026, deficiencies identified under the new affirmative requirements will be included in the calculation of a property’s inspection score. This applies to inspections conducted in the Public Housing and Multifamily Housing portfolios, including Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly. LeadingAge will continue to work with our membership to provide the highest quality housing for older adults with incomes as they age in community.