On October 24, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) Get Ready Series. Housing Authorities (HAs) and other stakeholders can register for the in-person sessions to learn more about the upcoming NSPIRE policy, standards, scoring, operations, and inspections set to be released soon, according to the Department. The Department will be traveling to at least 14 locations nationwide:
PHADA has repeatedly requested that NSPIRE rollout be deferred because of delays due to the pandemic, lack of communication, lack of preparedness of key stakeholders, the potential for increased costs, and critical missing details. Following ongoing dialogue with the Department, PHADA’s Board of Trustees took a position to advocate for a deferment of the NSPIRE demonstration. In a letter to Dominique Blom, General Deputy Assistant Secretary of PIH, and Ashley Sheriff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of REAC, sent on September 21, 2022, PHADA respectfully requested a delay to the rollout of NSPIRE until such time certain specific criteria are met, and additionally, requested that all NSPIRE scores within the first year of the transition be advisory.
PHADA encourages all HAs to attend, as NSPIRE will have significant impacts on all affordable housing program inspections models including the Housing Choice Voucher program and RAD-converted properties. These sessions will be another opportunity for agencies to submit feedback, ask questions, and express concerns. The Department states that sessions will include interactive panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and demonstrations. Further, Get Ready Series topics include: an overview of NSPIRE policies, standards, scoring, key enhancements, IT information, inspection protocol concepts, and information on the development and rollout plans for the new inspection model. If you would like to learn more about all available NSPIRE updates to date, please review the related resources included at the end of this article. In addition, click here to watch PHADA’s recent webcast on NSPIRE updates, recorded on October 12, 2022.
Currently, the Department does not appear to offer a virtual, or livestream option. A request has been made for this option for HAs and other stakeholders that are unable to attend in person. If an option is made available, PHADA will communicate this to members as soon as possible. An association representative will be attending sessions in Cleveland and Washington, DC, and will provide important NSPIRE updates in future editions of the newsletter.
To learn more about HUD’s Get Ready sessions here.
Click here to register for a session.
Related Resources
- “PHADA Has Major Concerns Regarding NSPIRE,” (Advocate, August 10, 2021)
- “PHADA Asks HUD to Defer NSPIRE Implementation,” (Advocate, October 5, 2022)
- “Industry Groups Meet with HUD to Discuss NSPIRE,” (Advocate, September 7, 2022)
- “PHADA Participates in Second NSPIRE Roundtable Discussion,” (Advocate, October 19, 2022)