As of July 1, 2023, public housing will be inspected by a new standard with others to soon follow.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is in the process of implementing its National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). This new set of standards is meant to replace and consolidate the two previously used for HUD housing programs: the Housing Quality Standards and the Uniform Physical Condition Standards. The NSPIRE standards were implemented July 1 for public housing and will take effect October 1 for all other HUD-assisted housing like units utilizing Housing Choice Vouchers.
On June 22, 2023, HUD published its notice of final inspection standards for the National Standards for Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). This notice includes a detailed list of inspectable areas and items, deficiency criteria, their impact on unit scoring and correction timelines. HUD will update the NSPIRE standards every three years with an opportunity for public comment.
HUD tested the new standards through their demonstration program and opened them for public comment on July 17, 2022, when a draft was published. Major changes from the draft version include:
- Addressing life-threatening and severe deficiencies within 24 hours. All other deficiencies must be addressed within 60 days or a reasonable period;
- Making the Smoke Alarm Standard consistent with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 72;
- Requiring carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in compliance with the 2018 International Fire Code;
- Establishing infestation deficiencies based on discrete levels of observations with clarification on citable pests;
- Developing deficiencies based on observed mold conditions or elevated moisture levels measured using a moisture meter; and
- Including a deficiency for an enhanced visual assessment for deteriorated paint in units where children under 6 years of age reside to document potential lead-based paint hazards.
For more information about NSPIRE, please contact Ben Harrold, Manager of Public Policy.