Resident Feedback on NSPIRE Inspections

HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) is committed to building enduring relationships with residents. Through the development and evaluation of the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE), REAC seeks to maintain a resident-focused approach that prioritizes resident health and safety.

REAC sought feedback from resident stakeholders throughout the development and implementation of NSPIRE via in-person meetings and formal requests for public comment. HUD's Strategic Plan includes two initiatives to gather continuous feedback to improve collaboration and resident engagement in the inspection process:

1. Provide a survey to capture tenants' opinions of the inspection process, and
2. Allow a resident council or equivalent to recommend units for inspection.

Learn more about the resident survey and the recommended units for inspection in this PDF.

New Demonstration Procedures

As a result of the recommendations and feedback received, REAC will incorporate and evaluate two new procedures into the NSPIRE Demonstration. First, HUD will evaluate methods for including up to five additional dwelling units in the NSPIRE inspection.

• The additional dwelling unit sample will be identified in advance by a resident group.
• The additional dwelling units will not be included in determining the advisory NSPIRE score.
• If a resident’s group is not available, HUD will use a risk model to select units above and beyond those selected by the sample.

REAC believes this approach will improve transparency and trust in REAC inspections.

Next, REAC is researching best practices in stakeholder engagement.

• Voluntary surveys will be administered in advance to residents’ groups.
• REAC aims to reduce the administrative burden of participating in a resident-focused inspection survey while promoting strategies to facilitate resident survey response rates.
• REAC aims to identify ways to integrate the survey findings into the NSPIRE Demonstration.
• REAC is committed to exploring advanced technology solutions and data collection methods that will provide an additional mechanism for resident feedback and improve the REAC inspection process.

REAC believes this new procedure will ultimately improve REAC’s understanding of resident concerns.