HUD Begins Public Housing Inspections Under NSPIRE

Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has the authority to begin inspecting public housing under the Final Rule for the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) after July 1, 2023. The inspections of Public and Multifamily housing properties are a matter of complying with the Department’s public safety and health standards to ensure safe and decent living conditions for families and individuals.

“Resident health and safety are HUD’s top priorities. We are demonstrating how vital this is by undertaking this momentous step by strengthening inspection standards with NSPIRE to solidifies our commitment to those we serve,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “The purpose of the new standards and inspections are to address the issue of substandard rental properties, promote greater compliance with health and safety standards, and preserve the quality of our country’s neighborhoods and available housing.”

NSPIRE physical inspections will focus on three areas:

• The housing units where HUD-assisted residents live;
• Elements of their buildings’ non-residential interiors, and
• The exteriors of buildings, ensuring that components of these three areas are “functionally adequate, operable, and free of health and safety hazards.”

HUD published the final NSPIRE rule on May 11, 2023, that made changes to inspections for the Public Housing and Multifamily Housing programs. That was followed by the NSPIRE companion publications of the final Standards Notice on June 22, 2023, and the Administrative notice on June 30, 2023.

NSPIRE improves HUD’s oversight by aligning and consolidating inspection regulations used to evaluate HUD housing across multiple programs. NSPIRE strengthens HUD’s physical condition standards, formerly known as the Uniform Physical Condition Standard (UPCS) and the Housing Quality Standards (HQS). HUD’s Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) conducts the inspections of HUD-assisted properties in the Public and Multifamily Housing programs.

“These improvements should serve as a tool for public housing authorities and cities to help them better serve their residents and their families,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Richard J. Monocchio. “That’s the foundation of our all of our work and NSPIRE gives us a shared playbook for measuring housing quality for our residents and addressing problems.”