The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made appeals guidance available for its NSPIRE housing inspection protocol on August 19.

According to HUD, the agency has received feedback that Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and Property Owners/Agents (POAs) have been experiencing issues when submitting appeals in the NSPIRE IT system. To address this, HUD has made Technical Review Guidance available that provides a summary of the basis for technical review along with instructions for how to submit an appeal.

If a Property Owner/Agent believes that a property’s inspection results and score should be reviewed due to verifiable reasons, they may request a technical review. They should submit the request electronically through the NSPIRE system within 45 calendar days following the day HUD provides the inspection report. More info here.

LeadingAge has learned that REAC resumed NSPIRE inspections on May 20 following a brief pause. The pause was due to technical issues related to an NSPIRE software update. The systems were down for just over two weeks. Any cancelled inspections will be rescheduled.

Due to technical issues, HUD NSPIRE inspections paused late in the week of April 29 and scheduled inspections were cancelled for the week of May 6. HUD is working to address the issues as quickly as possible. LeadingAge has learned that HUD expects its NSPIRE systems to be back online at some point later in the week of May 13. HUD will be communicating with properties to reschedule cancelled inspections.

A February 16 report from HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), “HUD Lacked Adequate Oversight of Multifamily Housing Properties with Failing REAC Scores or Life-Threatening Deficiencies,” found multiple ways to improve HUD’s oversight of multifamily housing properties with failing Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) scores. In 2023, REAC was replaced by HUD’s new physical inspection standards and scoring protocol, NSPIRE, but the actions HUD is to take based on how a property scores have not changed under the new framework.

The OIG found that for 45% of the sampled properties reviewed, HUD did not meet its own requirement to issue notices to owners that they failed to remedy inspection findings within 15 days. The OIG also found that HUD staff did not collect adequate documentation from property owners consistently to ensure that the owners remedied health and safety threats in a timely way. “This resulted in HUD repeatedly failing to report to Congress accurate and timely information about the physical condition of assisted multifamily housing properties that received a failing REAC inspection score,” the HUD inspector general said.

Beginning October 1, HUD’s new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) are effective for HUD-assisted Multifamily Housing programs, including Section 202 senior housing communities. HUD’s new NSPIRE protocol represents a comprehensive overhaul of the agency’s housing safety oversight approach. HUD published the final NSPIRE rule on May 11, 2023, and published final standards, scoring, and administrative notices for Multifamily Housing  providers in June and July.

Moving forward, Multifamily Housing properties will not receive housing inspections under the previous protocol (UPCS), but will be inspected under NSPIRE. Properties will continue receiving a 28-notice before an inspection. LeadingAge worked with HUD and housing providers throughout the transition to NSPIRE and will continue to advocate to ensure a smooth process.

LeadingAge and LeadingAge DC hosted leadership and policy experts from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) to discuss the agency’s new housing safety standards on July 27.

Hosted at the LeadingAge office in Washington, DC, the event offered housing providers a rare in-person opportunity to hear directly from HUD’s NSPIRE experts on key changes to the REAC inspection protocol before the rules go into effect.

LeadingAge members also had the chance to interact with HUD leadership and other housing providers during the training’s Q&A and event reception.

The NSPIRE Training recording is now available for LeadingAge members in the Learning Hub. Learn more about the event, including key take-aways from HUD staff, here.

On June 30, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued an administrative procedures notice (H 2023-07) for the implementation of NSPIRE, HUD’s new housing inspection protocol. The notice covers what to expect before, during, and after an inspection, including key details for LeadingAge senior housing provider members. LeadingAge had urged HUD to adopt sensible policies for issues such as tenant-owned in-unit items evaluated during an inspection, as well as tenant input during the inspection process. Read more here.

The final Scoring Notice for HUD’s National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) protocols was published in the Federal Register on July 7. For HUD multifamily housing, the NSPIRE physical inspection protocols go into effect on October 1, 2023. HUD’s July 6 final scoring notice reflects comments LeadingAge provided on HUD’s proposed scoring notice. Read more here.

View LeadingAge’s analysis of HUD’s NSPIRE final rule, which adjusts housing safety inspections for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-assisted housing properties. The final rule implements new rules and creates a framework for additional forthcoming details, including new housing safety standards. Read more here (LeadingAge members only).

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the final Inspection Standards for its new inspection protocol, the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) on June 15.

The June 15 NSPIRE final Inspection Standards represent HUD’s years-long effort to consolidate and align housing quality requirements and associated inspection Standards across programs. LeadingAge has commented to HUD at every step of NSPIRE’s development. According to HUD, the final Inspection Standards reflect HUD consideration of feedback it received and additional testing in the field during the NSPIRE Demonstration. Read more here.

LeadingAge submitted comments to HUD’s Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) calling for key changes to the agency’s proposed new housing inspection scoring model. The proposed approach to scoring would take affect for HUD-assisted Multifamily Housing providers with the launch of NSPIRE on October 1. LeadingAge’s comments emphasize the need for adjusted scoring designations and extended phased-in scoring for the new housing inspection protocol.

Read LeadingAge’s members-only analysis of the proposed scoring and LeadingAge’s advocacy with HUD to improve the agency’s new scoring approach under NSPIRE.

As HUD readies its new NSPIRE housing inspection protocol, the agency has begun to share details of the Real Estate Assessment Center’s (REAC) new protocol implementation. During in-person “Get Ready” sessions hosted in select cities, LeadingAge gleaned the following takeaways: Check out this LeadingAge summary and PowerPoint overview.

In a Notice issued on January 31, 2022, HUD implemented a requirement for carbon monoxide alarms or detectors in housing with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage. HUD will begin enforcement of the new requirement on December 27, 2022 in Multifamily Housing, Public Housing, and Housing Choice Voucher units.

The Notice follows a tragic season of fire and smoke damage in HUD-assisted properties that have resulted in death and injury among residents, putting HUD in the spotlight to improve safety conditions in affordable housing.

Read LeadingAge’s analysis of the Notice, and access LeadingAge’s members’s only PowerPoint to help navigate the new requirements.

As HUD moves forward with its overhaul of physical inspections, the agency posted an updated set of draft building standards that will be evaluated during inspections under the new NSPIRE model. HUD’s NSPIRE website now hosts a fully revised version of the new standards (Version 2.1, dated April 2, 2021), which will eventually be incorporated into the final NSPIRE inspection protocol.

LeadingAge has identified several key standards updates in Version 2.1, including related to bathtubs and shower functionality, carbon monoxide detectors, exhaust ventilation, electrical components, and fire extinguishers. The updated standards include two key suggestions provided by LeadingAge.